Dr. Mihaiela Isac joined McGill University in 1995, following a 20-year career as professor of physical metallurgy at the University of Bucharest, Romania. There she obtained a Master of Science and a PhD in metallurgy, followed by specialization in high resolution electron microscopy, at Delft University, Netherlands. She is the associate director of the McGill Metals Processing Centre, and president of MetSim Inc. laboratories specialized in high temperature melting, casting, and characterization of metals. With over 40 years of fundamental and applied research experience in physical and process metallurgy, her research has included the thermodynamics, and kinetics of phase transformations of crystalline and amorphous alloys, rapid solidification technologies, liquid metals cleanliness, and the science and practice of Ladle-Tundish-Mould operations.

Dr. Isac has a 25-year history of service in CIM/MetSoc activities and was chair of the Light Metals Section of MetSoc for six years. She chaired and co-chaired several international conferences and organized several symposia for MetSoc, MS&T, and AIST, among them being the customary COM Symposium on Light Metals for Transportation Industries. She has more than 300 publications, books, training guides for students, or chapters in authoritative handbooks. She has been recipient of significant awards, including three Best Paper Awards, the 2011 NSERC Leo DERIKX Award for Innovation, and the 2013 MetSoc XSTRATA Award.