ORCID: 0000-0002-4763-2131 Robert J. Dowding has more than 40 years of materials science and engineering experience in R&D and manufacturing environments. He has more than 30 years with the Army Research Laboratory and predecessor organizations. Previously, he worked process R&D for American Saw & Manufacturing Co. a producer of saw blades and cutting tools and for Rule Industries, a producer of consumer marine products – most notably, Danforth anchors and compasses and Rule bilge pumps and winches.Mr. Dowding is a materials engineer for the Army Research Laboratory where he is the Associate Division Chief for Materials and Manufacturing Science. In this role, he is responsible for the vision, development, and formulation of the materials and manufacturing research program. Previously, Mr. Dowding was the Research Manager for Materials and Manufacturing Science.Mr. Dowding's work in the field of tungsten has led to advances in nanocrystalline tungsten particulates, novel processing developments, new composite alloys with amorphous matrices, determination of the properties of novel material compositions, and the demonstration of potential replacement materials for depleted uranium. In 1992, he co-founded the International Conference on Tungsten Refractory Metals and Hard Materials. Additionally, he has co-chaired three Army Sagamore Conferences. Mr. Dowding is a co-awardee of several awards from multiple groups including three R&D 100 awards; the Award of Excellence for Technology Transfer; and an Army SBIR Phase II quality award. Additionally he was recognized by MPIF with the Vanguard Award and the Distinguished Service to PM award.As a member of the editorial boards for “Materials and Manufacturing Processes,” “Powder Metallurgy,” the "International Journal of Powder Metallurgy" and “P/M Science and Technology Briefs,” Mr. Dowding frequently reviews manuscripts and has been a guest editor for several journals.