Pete Collins is the Engineering Entrepreneurial Fellow and a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.  He has received his degrees from the University of Missouri at Rolla (BS, Metallurgical Engineering) and The Ohio State University (MS, PhD, Materials Science and Engineering).  Throughout his career, he has balanced science with engineering practice, often working on research projects that attempt to solve the most challenging problems faced by external industrial partners. Prior to becoming a professor, he helped to establish, found, and launch the Quad Cities Manufacturing Lab, a not-for-profit 501-c(3) entity where he served as the Director of Technology.  He has led two NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers, and has founded two small businesses.  His research interests include advanced materials characterization, advanced processing (including 3D printing) and materials modeling, with an emphasis on applying those techniques to non-ferrous structural alloys, particularly those used in the defense, energy, and transportation sectors.