Maurice Gell joined the Department of Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Connecticut as Professor-in-Residence in 1993. His active research programs include single crystal superalloy turbine blade materials, thermal barrier coatings and nanostructured materials and coatings. Dr. Gell manages a number of multi-disciplinary programs that are partnered with industry. Dr. Gell has been awarded 20 contracts from various government and industry funding sources, with a total value of over $8,000,000. His active research areas include (1) Mechanisms of thermal barrier coating (TBC) spallation, (2) Development of advanced thermal barrier coatings, (c) Development of laser piezospectroscopy as a non-destructive inspection technique for TBCs, (d) Research, development and implementation of nanostructured materials and coatings.

Prior to joining UConn, Dr. Gell had 27 years of materials and process development experience at Pratt & Whitney, with the last 10 years as Manager of High Temperature Materials and Coatings Development. Dr. Gell and his group were responsible for the research, development and production implementation of many directionally solidified / single crystal turbine blade alloys and processes and many low and high temperature coatings, including oxidation resistant and thermal barrier coatings.

Dr. Gell holds 13 patents, is the author of over 85 publications and 100 conference presentations. He is a Fellow of ASM International and received the ASM International Engineering Materials Award in 1986 for his work on Single Crystal Superalloy Turbine Blades. He is also cited in Who's Who In America, Who's Who in Engineering, and American Men and Women in Science. Maurice Gell was awarded the United Technologies Gold Medal for Engineering Achievement in 1980, and received United Technologies Leadership Awards for High Temperature Coatings Work in 1989 and 1993.

Dr. Gell received his education at Columbia University in New York and Yale University in New Haven, receiving five degrees (Columbia: B.A., 1959, M.A. [Economics], 1960, B.S., 1961; Yale: M.S., 1963, Ph.D, 1965). He conducted post-doctoral research from 1965-1966 at the Material Division of the Central Electricity Research Laboratories, Leatherhead, Surrey, England.