Viola Acoff

Viola L. Acoff
EducationUniversity of Alabama, BIrmingham (BS, MS, and Ph.D)
OccupationsMetallurgist and academic
Employer(s)University of Alabama, Birmingham
Organization(s)The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, president
TitleDean of Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering,
Websitehttps://olemiss.edu/profiles/vacoff

Viola L. Acoff is an American metallurgist. She is the dean of the school of engineering at the University of Mississippi. She is the current president of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) for 2026.

Early life and education

Acoff received her bachelor's of science in materials engineering from the University of Alabama Birmingham in 1989. She continued her graduate education at this institution, completing both a master of science in materials engineering with a thesis titled “The effect of Postweld Heat Treatment on the Fusion Zone Microstructure and Microhardness of Ti-14.2 Wt% Al-21.3 Wt% Nb Titanium Aluminide” in 1991 and a Ph.D. with a dissertation titled “An Analysis of constitutional Liquid Film Migration in Nickel-Base Alloy 718” in 1994.

Career

Acoff began her academic career as an assistant professor in the department of metallurgical and materials engineering at the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa in 1994 and was the first African American female faculty member in the University of Alabama College of Engineering. She was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2000 and full professor in 2004, a title she held until she left the University of Alabama in 2023. During her time there she served as the department head of the department of metallurgical and materials engineering from 2009 to 2014, and also the department head of chemical and biological engineering from 2008-2010. She was appointed the Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Graduate programs for the college of engineering in 2014 and served in that role until leaving the University of Alabama in 2023. Acoff was appointed as the Dean of the School of Engineering at the University of Mississippi with a full professorship in mechanical engineering in July of 2023.

In parallel to her academic positions Acoff has served in a number of leadership roles. These include the director of the University of Alabama's National Science Foundation Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) since 1996 and the project manager of the Alabama LSAMP program since 2016. She served as the Vice President of TMS for 2025 and is the incoming president for 2026.

Recognition

References

  1. ↑ "University of Mississippi's Viola Acoff Honored for Her Policymaking Role in Materials Engineering". The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. 2023-11-24. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  2. ↑ Brown, Adam (2023-03-27). "Viola L. Acoff Accepts Position as UM Engineering Dean". HottyToddy.com - Ole Miss Sports, Oxford Entertainment, Dining & More. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  3. 1 2 3 "Board of Directors | TMS". www.tms.org. Archived from the original on 2026-01-07. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  4. 1 2 3 Mazzullo, Sam (2023-04-06). "University of Mississippi appoints Viola Acoff as Dean, School of Engineering". Hunt Scanlon Media. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Viola Acoff | Ole Miss". olemiss.edu. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  6. 1 2 "End User – news.eng.ua.edu | The University of Alabama". Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "TMS". www.tms.org. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  8. ↑ "University of Mississippi's Viola Acoff Honored for Her Policymaking Role in Materials Engineering". The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. 2023-11-24. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  9. ↑ "Acoff Selected for Distinguished Lectureship in Materials and Society – news.eng.ua.edu | The University of Alabama". Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  10. ↑ "Ellen Swallow Richards Diversity Award". www.tms.org. Archived from the original on 2024-11-09. Retrieved 2026-03-17.