Bruce Dunn

Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

Bruce Dunn is a professor of materials science and engineering holding a joint appointment in the Department of Bioengineering.

Dunn formerly served as the interim dean of the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering from August 1, 2022, to August 31, 2023. Prior to assuming his role as interim dean, Dunn was the associate dean of research and physical resources since July 1, 2021, overseeing the school’s sponsored research programs and research infrastructure. He also served as chair of the Materials Science and Engineering Department from 2018 to 2021. In that role, he spearheaded the effort to recruit excellent new faculty, acquire important resources and maintain the department’s outstanding educational and research programs during the pandemic.

A member of the UCLA faculty since 1980, Dunn has held the Nippon Sheet Glass Company Endowed Chair in Materials Science since 2003.

Dunn is widely known for his research on the synthesis of inorganic and hybrid materials and their applications in electrochemical energy storage devices such as batteries and capacitors. A continuing theme in his research involves the use of sol-gel methods to synthesize materials with designed microstructures and properties. His recent work on electrochemical energy storage includes three-dimensional batteries and pseudo-capacitor materials.

Among his many accolades, Dunn has received a Fulbright research fellowship, the Orton Lectureship from the American Ceramic Society, two awards from the Department of Energy for outstanding research in materials science and invited professorships in France, Japan and Singapore. He is a fellow of the Materials Research Society, the American Ceramic Society, and a member of the World Academy of Ceramics. In addition to serving on the Board of Reviewing Editors at Science, he is a member of the editorial boards of Advanced Energy Materials, Solid State Ionics, Advanced Electronic Materials and Journal of the American Ceramic Society.

An excellent teacher, Dunn has consistently supervised graduate students, visiting research scholars and served as a faculty advisor to many Ph.D. graduates.

Dunn earned both his Ph.D. and master’s degree from UCLA in ceramics and materials science, respectively. He received his bachelor’s degree in ceramic science from Rutgers University. Prior to joining UCLA Engineering, Dunn was a staff scientist at the General Electric Research and Development Center.