Professor Michael Fitzpatrick

Professor Fitzpatrick, FREng FLSW CEng CSci FIMMM, is an honorary professor at Bangor University and was previously the Lloyd’s Register Foundation Chair of Structural Integrity and Systems Performance. He is a Director of Feraru Dynamics Ltd, a university spin-out focused on ensuring prevention of vibration-related injury in manufacturing and construction; and a Director of the UK Forum for Engineering Structural Integrity, that works with professional organisations and individuals to assist in the assurance of the integrity of engineering structures and components.

Professor Fitzpatrick holds chartered status in both science and engineering. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Learned Society of Wales, and the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. He studied natural sciences at the University of Cambridge, followed by a PhD in Materials Science and Metallurgy, also at Cambridge.

Michael studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, followed by a PhD in Materials Science and Metallurgy, also at Cambridge. He moved to The Open University in 1995, where he took a lead role in the major redesign of the OU’s engineering curriculum, and led the development of new partnerships with external collaborators.

Professor Fitzpatrick is an internationally respected materials engineer known for his contributions to the development and application of experimental stress analysis. He has been a user of international neutron and synchrotron X-ray facilities for over 30 years, for the study of internal stress and damage development in metallic materials and components. 

His world-renowned research has led to advances in life assessment and design enhancements in the aerospace and nuclear power sectors, particularly the application of laser shock peening to extend the fatigue life of aerospace alloys. He has also made critical inputs to life extension programmes for Airbus and the US Air Force.