W. Jud Ready is the Associate Director, External Engagements for the Georgia Tech Institute for Matter and Systems and currently serves as the Director of the Georgia Tech Center for Space Technology and Research (CSTAR). He has also been an Adjunct Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech, and a Principal Research Engineer on the research faculty of Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) for more than two decades. Prior to joining the Georgia Tech faculty, he worked for General Dynamics, as well as MicroCoating Technologies. During his career, he has served as PI or co-PI for grants totaling >$25M awarded by the Army, Navy, Air Force, DARPA, NASA, NSF, NIST, DOE, other federal sponsors, industry, charitable foundations, private citizens, and the States of Georgia and Florida. With an emphasis towards aerospace applications, his current research focuses primarily on energy capture, storage and delivery enabled by nanomaterial design. His research has been included on three missions to the International Space Station (NREP-1, MISSE-11, MISSE-12), two others to low earth orbit (ALICE, TARGIT), and one perpetually in heliocentric orbit (Lunar Flashlight). His upcoming space missions during 2025 include MISSE-22 to the International Space Station in August, and SSTEF-1 to the Lunar surface in October. A half dozen solar cells from his past missions to the International Space Station will be included in the permanent "At Home in Space" exhibit opening on the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum's 50th Anniversary on July 4, 2026.

Ready has >2,500 citations to over three dozens refereed publications related to advanced materials and space-based applications. His research developments have been invited to almost three dozen international conferences, and he has served as an expert witness in criminal and civil matters, and also provided testimony to the Georgia State House Science & Technology Committee. He has 15 patents awarded in the United States (#6,846,370; 6,994,757; 8,350,146; 8,474,805; 8,604,681; 8,774,890; 8,919,752; 9,058,954; 9,427,091; 9,859,477; 9,892,863; 10,166,085; 10,249,444, 10,629,227, 11,957,549 and 12,227,827), and is the co-founder of two successful materials-based start-ups (LZRD Tech, Inc., and Hub Hygiene, Inc.) Ready has been involved in numerous peer review activities for archival journals, scholarships and federal agencies, and continues to be a frequent session organizer for national and international symposia/conferences, as well as recently serving as Chair of the Materials Research Society (MRS) Spring 2017 Meeting. Ready is also a Senior Member of IEEE, was inducted into the National Academy of Inventors in 2024, and is a Life Member of The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS). Ready most recently served as the TMS President in 2022.

Ready is the recipient of the: “Class of 1934 Outstanding Innovative Use of Education Technology” award by Georgia Tech in 2025, “Outstanding Achievement in Research Program Development” award by Georgia Tech in 2023, and GTRI’s highest honor, “One GTRI Collaboration Award” in 2022. In 2015, he was named as a “Brimacombe Medalist” by TMS for sustained excellence and achievement in business, technology, education, public policy, and science related to materials science and engineering. Ready is also the recipient of: “Innovative Research Award” by GTRI in 2013; “Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award” by Georgia Institute of Technology (2009); “Young Leader International Scholar Award” by Japan Institute of Metals (2005); and “Red Flag Award” by Georgia Department of Natural Resources (2001).

Ready is also a helicopter pilot with fixed wing instrument rating and served as the founding Board Chairman for the non-profit /501(c)(3) Yellow Jacket Flying Club, Inc. from 2010 to 2017. He has also served on the Georgia Tech Faculty Assembly and Executive Board, as well as Trustee for the Georgia Tech Athletic Association and the Georgia Tech Alumni Association. 

W. Jud Ready CV