Karl Gschneidner, engineering professor at Iowa State, was recently awarded the David R. Boylan Eminent Faculty Award for Research.

Dubbed “Mr. Rare Earth” by his colleagues, Gschneidner has worked at ISU for nearly 35 years and is considered to be the world’s premier authority on the metallurgy of rare-earth elements.

Engineering Dean James Melsa, who presented Gschneidner with the award, said it is important to note that the award was determined not by heads of the department, but by a faculty committee.

“This is clearly a judgment by Gschneidner’s peers documenting the superiority of the research that he has done,” Melsa said.

The Boylan award was established in 1998 and recognizes Gschneidner for excellence in both commitment to research and contributions in his field.

The manner in which the 17 rare-earth elements differ slightly from one element to the next has been the driving force behind Gschneidner’s research career.

“I look at why and how the rare-earth metals can be practically applied,” he said.

Much of Gschneidner’s research deals with understanding the physical nature of the rare-earth elements and using the elements to increase our knowledge.

Gschneidner’s latest area of research has dealt with the development of a new refrigerator able to run without a compressor and does not make use of coolants that can damage the environment.

Beyond being environmentally friendly, Gschneidner said this new technology could potentially save consumers money.

“The refrigerator is energy-saving. It doesn’t burn as much fossil fuel, and it therefore saves money as well as cuts down on the amount of pollutants being released,” he said.

Gschneidner also started the Rare-earth Information Center, which has served to keep people informed of issues concerning rare-earth elements for more than thirty years.

Gschneidner said the area of rare-earth research is growing rapidly, and he doesn’t foresee things slowing down anytime soon.

“Rare-earth metals have impacted modern technology a great deal,” he said. “As time goes on, there will continue to be more problems to solve and additional ways to utilize these elements.”

Gschneidner said he enjoys working at ISU because of the high-quality research facilities available on campus. “The science and the technology environments here are excellent, and it is really hard to beat that combination,” he said.

Just as importantly, Gschneidner credits the high quality of ISU’s faculty and professional staff for helping to make his job more enjoyable.