David Drabold works on the theory of condensed matter. His work has
focused particularly on the physics of amorphous materials, including
glasses. In addition to creating realistic computer models of these
materials, he has contributed significantly to our understanding of
the consequences of structural disorder to electronic, optical and
transport properties. In addition, he has developed a number of new
computational algorithms for the efficient and accurate simulation of
these and other materials using approaches based upon
the foundations of quantum mechanics.
In 2005 David was elected Distinguished Professor, the University's highestacademic distinction, and was elected a fellow of the Institute of Physics(UK) the same year. In 2003, David was elected a Fellow of the American PhysicalSociety (Division of Materials Physics) `` For fundamental contributions to the physics of non-crystalline materials and development of efficient first-principles electronic structure methods''. David's other honors include Ohio Magazine's "Excellence in Teaching Award" (2006) and the Honors Tutorial College "Distinguished Mentor Award" (2007).
Drabold's hobbies include ancient and medieval history, and the study
of antiquities from these periods. He is an incorrigible Anglophile,
looking forward to spending next academic year at the University of
Cambridge.
