Dr. Nick Birbilis: Honoring AMPP’s 2026 Whitney Award Winner

Dr. Nick Birbilis, FNACE, is Executive Dean of the science, engineering and built environment faculty at Australia’s Deakin University. In his 20+ year career to date, Birbilis has worked in corrosion fields including monitoring, remediation, life prediction, asset design, durability management planning, and the development of corrosion-resistant materials. He has led large research teams and brings significant management experience, having served as head of department at Monash University and deputy dean at Australian National University.

This year, Birbilis is the 2026 recipient of AMPP’s prestigious Willis Whitney Technical Achievement Award. In this roundtable interview to discuss his groundbreaking work and distinguished career, Birbilis is joined by Lucrezia Scoppio, Chair of the AMPP Awards Program Committee, and Dr. John Scully, Chair of the Whitney Award Task Force.

Scoppio and Dr. Scully also discuss the AMPP Awards Program, its objectives, and the importance of recognizing outstanding contributions in the field of corrosion. Insight into what the task force is looking for in candidates is shared, along with ways in which award winners will be honored at the 2026 AMPP Annual Conference + Expo in March.