Matt S. Bednar

Physics, Engineering, Electronics, Materials Science

Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering

Matt S. Bednar, Ph.D., joined the Patent Foundation in May 2009. He received his bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering from The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. For two years, Bednar served as editor-in-chief of The Pennsylvania Triangle, University of Pennsylvania’s undergraduate engineering magazine. Bednar continued his education at the University of Virginia, where he received his master’s degree and doctorate, both in materials science and engineering. His doctoral thesis involved the development of amorphous metal alloys processed through high pressure shear deformation.

Upon graduation, Bednar continued to work with his graduate adviser, Doris Kuhlmann-Wilsdorf, Ph.D., to further develop her patented metal fiber brush technology and spin-off company, HiPerCon, which was ultimately purchased by Defense Holdings Inc. During his time at HiPerCon, Bednar was instrumental in developing an electrical contact technology and moving it from the laboratory to its present installation in the entire U.S. Navy nuclear submarine fleet. After leaving Defense Holdings Inc., Bednar spent a year developing combustion driven powder compaction technology at Utron Kinetics in Manassas, Va. He has since returned to his hometown of Charlottesville, where he supports the Patent Foundation through a focus on the licensing of inventions predominantly in the areas of physics, engineering, electronics and materials science.

Photo by Tom Cogill