Biography

Rodolpho received his degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil, in 2011, with a final year project in the area of unconventional machining process (more specifically, die-sinking electrical discharge machining). In 2016, he received his PhD in Materials Engineering from The Open University, UK, with a thesis on creep and anelastic recovery of steels with potential applications in advanced nuclear reactors. Since then, Rodolpho has been developing research in the areas of Materials Engineering & Manufacturing Processes, and, eventually, pedagogic research on modern engineering curriculum structure and teaching practices.

Rodolpho joined the School of Engineering in May 2023. Prior to that, he as been a lecturer at Coventry University for almost eight years, where he developed, led and taught several modules in the areas of Mechanics and Manufacturing of the Electromechanical Engineering degree. Rodolpho has also previous experience of many years working as a consultant engineer for several industrial segments, including mining, steel making, oil & gas, and energy. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a member of the Institution of Engineering & Technology (MIET), through which he became a Chartered Engineer (CEng).

Research Interests

Rodolpho's research interests include (but are not limited to):

- Materials characterisation (particularly metals & alloys)

- Oxide-dispersion-strengthened (ODS) steels, titanium alloys and nickel superalloys

- Creep, fatigue and mechanical testing of materials

- Manufacturing processes, including machining, welding and additive manufacturing

- Control and automation applied to manufacturing

Teaching Interests

In the 2024/2025 academic year, the following modules will be under my responsibility:

ES3E8 - Precision, Measurement & Control

ES2F9 - Dynamics & Vibrations (EMDA)

ES2J7 - Fundamentals of Manufacturing

ES3H7 - Group Project (EMDA)

Selected Publications

- José Rodolpho de Oliveira Leo and Michael. E. Fitzpatrick, “Development of a Diffusion Bonding Route for joining Oxide-Dispersion-Strengthened (ODS) steels for nuclear applications” Metallurgical & Materials Transactions A, vol. 55, pp. 827-838, 2024

- Jean Carlo Cescon, Alexandre M. Abrão, José Rodolpho de O. Leo and Victor C. Almeida, “Evaluation of parameters of influence on the quality of square holes machined by EDM”, Brazilian Journal of Development, vol. 9(6), pp. 21069-21086, 2023

- J. R. O. Leo, S. Zabeen, M. E. Fitzpatrick, J. Zou, and M. M. Attallah, “A study on the effects of laser shock peening on the microstructure and substructure of Ti–6Al–4V manufactured by Selective Laser Melting,” Journal of Materials Processing Technology., vol. 316, no. January, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2023.117959

- Mäkiö, E., de Oliveira Leo, J.R., Tareen, M., Azmat, F., Ahmad, B. (2022) “Teaching of threshold and complex concepts in Mechatronics”, 15th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (iCERi 2022)

- Tareen, M., de Oliveira Leo, J.R., Russell, D.M., Tokode, O.I. (2020) “Redefining the perception of module evaluation questionnaires (MEQs) in Academia”, 12th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies (EDULEARN 20)

- de Oliveira Leo, J.R., Tareen, M. (2019) “No walls: An analysis of the impact of technology on teaching practices and on the transformation of the learning spaces”, 11th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies (EDULEARN 19)

- J. R. O. Leo, S.R. Moturu, M.E. Fitzpatrick, “TEM Study of the effect of high-temperature thermal cycles on the stability of Y-Al-O oxides in MA956 ODS steel” Journal of Materials Research & Technology, vol. 8(5), pp. 3719–3725, 2019

- J. R. O. Leo, S. Pirfo Barroso, M. E. Fitzpatrick, M. Wang, and Z. Zhou, “Microstructure, tensile and creep properties of an austenitic ODS 316L steel,” Materials Science & Engineering A, vol. 749, pp. 158–165, 2019

Projects and Grants

Postgraduate studies

At the moment, I am only able to accept fully funded PhD students. Nevertheless, if you have any interest in discussing projects for either MSc or PhD, feel free to contact me through the above channels.