William Luecke joined the Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory in 1991 as an NRC post-doctoral fellow working under NIST Fellow Sheldon Wiederhorn. For nearly six years he conducted research on high-temperature deformation models and standard test methods for structural ceramics, primarily silicon nitride, for gas turbine engines
In 1996 he joined the Ceramics division as a permanent staff member, where he moved into deformation of fuel cell ceramics and rolling-contact fatigue of silicon nitride.
In 2002 he transferred to the Metallurgy division, where he was part of the MSEL team assigned to the NIST World Trade Center collapse investigation. Since 2005 he has researched standard test methods and data for improved grades of fire-resistive steel, a project that grew out of the recommendations of the NIST WTC report.
High-temperature mechanical testing of ceramics and metals. Standards and test methods to evaluate the fire resistance of structural steel