William R. Graham, 70, professor at Penn

William R. Graham, 70, of Germantown, a professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania, died of lung cancer July 15 at Wissahickon Hospice in Philadelphia.

Dr. Graham joined the materials science and engineering department at Penn in 1974. Though he retired in May 2008, he had taught a fall course until becoming ill.

Materials scientists study the basic substances that make up all matter, including metals, ceramics semiconductors, polymers, composites, and biomaterials such as the human body. Dr. Graham wrote on his department's Web site that "the rapid progress of modern technology continues to be driven by advances in our understanding of the science of the materials which underpin these technologies."

His research involved the study of the geometric, electronic, and vibrational structure and properties of surfaces and thin-film interface systems.

He was a consummate educator, said a daughter, Alison Graham-Bertolini. On the Web site, he wrote: "Each student in the department receives individualized faculty mentoring throughout the course of their personally designed educational program."

Dr. Graham received the S. Reid Warren Jr. Award for Distinguished Teaching twice. He was also awarded the UPS Foundation Distinguished Educator Term Chair, the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, and the Ford Motor Co. Award for Faculty Advising. He was chair of Penn's undergraduate program in materials science and engineering from 1984 to 1997 and from 1999 to 2008.

A native of Melbourne, Australia, Dr. Graham earned bachelor's and master's degrees in physics from Melbourne University and a doctorate from Oxford University in England. He moved to the United States in 1965 to be a research associate at Yale University and became an assistant professor at Yale in 1968.

He was an enthusiastic gardener and dog lover, his daughter said.

He was very easygoing, said Pat Overend, office manager in the materials science and engineering department at Penn for the last 17 years. "He enjoyed life and loved having a good time," Overend said.

In addition to his daughter, Dr. Graham is survived by another daughter, Elizabeth; a sister; a brother; and his former wife, Hilary Winks.

A life celebration was private. Memorial donations may be made to the University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center, Penn Medicine Office of Development, 3535 Market St., Philadelphia 19104.