Tim Rupert is an associate professor of materials science and engineering at the University of California, Irvine, with a joint appointment in mechanical and aerospace engineering. He received a B.S./M.S. in mechanical engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 2007 and a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2011.

Rupert's research focuses on uncovering new structure-property relationships in nanomaterials for structural and energy applications, as well as increasing the reliability and lifetime of these materials. To achieve their research goals, his lab uses a combination of computational and experimental techniques.

In recent years, Rupert has received an NSF CAREER Award, a U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Research Program Award, an Army Research Office Young Investigator Program Award, a Hellman Fellowship, the ASM International Bradley Stoughton Award for Young Teachers, and the AIME-TMS Rossiter W. Raymond Memorial Award. He serves on the editorial boards of Materials Science and Engineering A, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, and Scientific Reports.

Rupert has served TMS in a number of capacities. He is the current chair of the Thin Films and Interfaces Committee, following terms as vice-chair and secretary. He has also been a Programming Committee representative, served on the Awards Subcommittee, and was a Young Leaders representative for the Structural Materials Division Council. Rupert recently helped lead the planning and implementation of the inaugural Frontiers of Materials Award.