Dr. Burford is a Research Professor in Materials Science and Engineering. After receiving his doctorate from the Colorado School of Mines in 1987, Dr. Burford conducted postdoctoral studies at Ohio State University. In 1989, he joined Boeing in Wichita, Kansas, where, as an Associate Technical Fellow, he conducted research and development in metal forming, machining, welding, heat treating, etc. Beginning in 2000, Dr. Burford’s R&D work in friction stir welding led to production flight hardware in mid-2005. From the fall of 2005 to the summer of 2012, he directed the NIAR Advanced Joining Lab at Wichita State University. Since mid-2012, Dr. Burford has also worked as a metallurgical engineering consultant.