Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, 2017
  • B.S., Metallurgical Engineering, University of Alabama, 2012
Licenses & Certifications
  • Professional Engineer Metallurgical, Arizona, #79116
Professional Honors
  • Tau Beta Pi, Engineering Honor Society
  • ASTM Committee on Non-Destructive Evaluation (ASTM E07)
  • ASTM Committee on Fatigue and Fracture (ASTM E08)
  • Joint ASTM/NACE Committee on Corrosion (ASTM J01)
  • Failure Analysis Society Co-Chair (Fractography Session, IMAT 2025)
  • Guest Lecturer for Graduate Engineering course, Arizona State University
  • Bodycote Best Paper in Heat Treating Award
  • ASM Rocky Mountain Chapter Executive Board Member
Professional Affiliations
  • ASM International
  • ASTM International
  • American Welding Society (AWS)
  • Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST)

Dr. Whitley's areas of technical expertise center around the physical and mechanical metallurgy of structural alloys. His experience includes metallurgical failure analysis, fracture mechanics, corrosion, heat treatment, materials processing, and advanced characterization techniques across a range of alloy systems including steels, cast irons, aluminum, nickel, copper, and titanium alloys.

 

Dr. Whitley's work supports the mining, energy production, oil and gas, rotating equipment, automotive, aerospace, locomotive, and metals production industries. He serves as Co-Chair for the Fractography session with the Failure Analysis Society (FAS) for the IMAT Conference.

Dr. Whitley is active within ASTM International, the Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST), and ASM International. He currently serves on the ASTM International Committees for Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE), Fatigue and Fracture, and the Joint ASTM/NACE Committee on Corrosion. Dr. Whitley co-authored "Failures of Pipelines" in Volume 11A of the ASM Handbook and served as technical reviewer for the ASM Handbook chapters on "X-ray Spectroscopy in Failure Analysis" and "Scanning Electron Microscopy" in Vol. 11: Failure Analysis and Prevention. Dr. Whitley has previously served on the AIST Pipe and Tube Technology Committee. 

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Whitley worked as a Senior Metallurgical Engineer with ATI Specialty Materials. During that time, he served as Project Lead and Technical Lead on multiple next generation alloy development efforts for the jet engine market. His primary focus at ATI was powder-based nickel superalloy development, with supporting roles in titanium alloy development and high speed steel process optimization. Dr. Whitley oversaw projects from initial concept, through the Research & Development phase, and into full-scale manufacturing.

Dr. Whitley's academic work at the Colorado School of Mines investigated the effects of thermomechanical processing routes and heat treatments for optimizing the induction hardening response of automotive shafts using microalloyed steels. During this time, he operated and managed a Gleeble 3500 thermomechanical simulator laboratory, and collaborated on projects involving thermomechanical processing of carbon and stainless steels, aluminum, titanium, niobium, and nickel alloys. Dr. Whitley has presented his work at 6 international technical conferences, and has delivered 4 invited lectures. His technical writing has earned recognition as the Bodycote Best Paper in Heat Treating, and American Foundry Society's Best Paper Award.