Materials Science and Engineering
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Materials Science and Engineering ROBERT R. McCORMICK SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCE I NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY SPRING 2015 Mark Hersam Named MacArthur Fellow DEDICATED TEACHER AND VERSATILE RESEARCHER PUSHES MATERIALS AND MINDS FORWARD “Research exposes students to difficult unsolved problems, forcing them to be creative. I want them to come up with truly new ideas, not just regurgitate established concepts.” Mark Hersam Hersam views his principal Taking an interdisciplinary job as that of an educator—a role in approach that draws on techniques which he can have more impact on from materials science, physics, unsolved problems by harnessing engineering and chemistry, Hersam the minds of hundreds of young has established himself as a leading scientists and engineers. “I love to experimentalist in the area of hybrid teach in the classroom, but I also organic-inorganic materials, with a Mark Hersam believe that scientific research is focus on the study of the electrical a vehicle for teaching,” Hersam and optical properties of carbon and ark C. Hersam, a I think, to some extent I remain in said. “Research exposes students to related nanomaterials. Hersam and materials engineer shock,” said Hersam, who received difficult unsolved problems, forcing his research lab have been working who teaches the the call in his Cook Hall office. them to be creative. I want them to primarily with carbon nanotubes “As time has gone on, I’ve come up with truly new ideas, not and graphene, but the support of the innovators of tomorrow and M appreciated, of course, that it’s a just regurgitate established concepts.” continued on page 3 works across scientific boundaries great honor and, more importantly, to create new materials for use in a great opportunity.” electronics, solar cells and batteries, A dedicated and popular was named a 2014 MacArthur teacher, Hersam is the Bette and Fellow, an honor bestowed with a $92 Million Gift for Regenerative Neison Harris Chair in Teaching $625,000 “no conditions” award. Excellence and professor of A versatile and highly Medicine Research materials science and engineering. productive experimentalist, Hersam THE GIFT FROM LOUIS SIMPSON AND KIMBERLY He was one of the new is developing novel nanomaterials QUERREY SETS NEW CAMPAIGN RECORD MacArthur Fellows recognized for use in information technology, in September by the MacArthur Northwestern University Trustee (SQI). SQI is conducting some biotechnology, energy, such as solar Foundation for “extraordinary and alumnus Louis A. Simpson and of the world’s most innovative, cells and batteries, and flexible originality and dedication in their his spouse Kimberly K. Querrey interdisciplinary research in applying electronics for personalized health creative pursuits and a marked have made an additional $92 million nanotechnology to regenerative monitoring—the kind that can be capacity for self-direction.” gift to Northwestern University medicine. These gifts, along with integrated into clothing, not just “I am very grateful and in support of the University’s the couple’s earlier gifts, bring their strapped on your wrist. thankful to the MacArthur biomedical research programs. total contributions to We Will. The The phone call from the John Foundation, to current and previous The latest gift comes just a Campaign for Northwestern to D. and Catherine T. MacArthur members of my research group and year after the couple made a $25 $117.8 million. This represents the Foundation delivering the very good to my colleagues and collaborators million gift to Northwestern to largest amount given by a single news was so out of the blue that over the years,” Hersam said. endow the Louis A. Simpson and donor to the campaign. Hersam initially thought it was a “Scientific research is a team effort.” Kimberly K. Querrey Institute for continued on page 3 joke. “Then I went into shock, and, BioNanotechnology in Medicine Letter from the Chair This school year, we also celebrated his 97th birthday celebrate three new faculty and still comes into the lab on a members joining our department: regular basis. Truly amazing! The Sossina Haile, Jeff Snyder, and inclusiveness engendered at the James Rondinelli. Sossina and Jeff onset of our field has made it very are featured on page 3. James, who natural to incorporate each newly appeared in the previous edition discovered materials system and of our newsletter, is featured in an allowed us to grow into new areas, article on page 4. such as biomaterials, nanomaterials The 2014-15 academic year systems, and composites. marks the 60th anniversary of In closing I would like Morris Fine’s arrival from Bell to thank all those who have Labs to chair the newly formed contributed to the Johannes and Department of Metallurgy, Julia Randall Weertman Graduate nucleated with professors Don Fellowship fund, which has Whitmore, Jack Frankel, and reached $600,000, with the first John Brittain, and shortly after, Weertman graduate fellowship Mike Bedzyk Jack Kauffman and Tony Kelly. going to MSE PhD candidate Deep Notably, Professor Fine’s offer letter Jariwala. Also, thank you to all who ear friends: Our annual “Most Powerful Women Engineers mentioned “materials science” and have contributed to the Charles alumni and awards in the World.” Duran is the conflict within a few short years, in 1958, Chiou memorial fund and to the celebration — Wednesday, minerals program manager and the department name was formally department at-large. These gifts, DMay 20 — is fast approaching and, supply chain director at Intel. changed to the Department of which we use to leverage university as you can see in this edition of One of our most memorable Materials Science. The importance and McCormick funds, help our our newsletter, we have much to events this past year was the visit of this multidisciplinary approach department initiate new directions celebrate. Our faculty, students, by Nobel Laureate Dan Shechtman, has progressed to the point where that support our research and and alumni have been recognized this year’s Cohen Lecturer. In even the President Barack Obama educational missions. refers to “materials science” in his Mike Bedzyk “The importance of this multidisciplinary approach has speeches from the White House. Chair, Department of Materials progressed to the point where even President Obama By the way, Morrie Fine recently Science and Engineering refers to ‘materials science’ in his speeches from the White House.” Mike Bedzyk with many honors and prestigious addition to a talk about his Upcoming Events awards this past year. Among the discovery of quasi crystals, he faculty, Mark Hersam was named delivered an interesting public a MacArthur Fellow. Among lecture about creating startup WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Hilliard Symposium our graduate students, many companies. (Read about his visit received prestigious NSF and on page 8.) Northwestern University Transportation Center NDSEG fellowships. One of our Training the next generation 600 Foster Street, Evanston undergraduates, senior Edward of entrepreneurs has been a Registration at 8:30 a.m. Pang, was named a Churchill recent departmental theme and is Keynote at 11:00 a.m. Featuring keynote speaker Jinliu “Grace” Scholar and will study at Cambridge in line with our strategy to develop Wang (PhD ’01), deputy assistant director of the Directorate of in the coming year. the Energy Materials Lab, with Engineering at the National Science Foundation. Many of our alumni also help from Mary (BS ’98) and have been recognized for their Ethan Meister and Boris Vuchic WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 contributions to the field. In (PhD ’95). On page 6 you can read Annual Alumni Celebration Banquet particular this year’s two career about our students’ success and Hilton Orrington achievement alumni awardees, Anil wide-spread media attention for 1710 Orrington Avenue, Evanston Virkar and Grace Wang (profiled on their inventions. An example from 5:30 p.m. page 5), have made great strides in the faculty side is Ramille Shah’s Honoring Career Achievement Recipients Anil V. Virkar and their entrepreneurial and academic 3D printing of biomaterials for Jinliu “Grace” Wang (see profiles, page 5) efforts. And Business Insider tissue engineering. For more information, or to register, please contact Molli Connell recently named Carolyn Duran at 847-491-3533 or [email protected]. (PhD ’98) as second on their list of 2 Department Welcomes Two New Faculty SOSSINA HAILE AND G. JEFFREY SNYDER JOIN NORTHWESTERN he Department of Materials Science and demonstrated record power Engineering is excited to welcome two new densities for solid-oxide fuel cells. faculty members: Sossina Haile and G. Jeffrey Her more recent work on water and carbon dioxide dissociation Snyder, both from the California Institute of Technology. T for solar-fuel generation by Haile joins as the Walter P. Murphy thermochemical processes has Professor of Materials Science created new avenues for harnessing and Engineering and professor of sunlight to meet energy demands. applied physics, and Snyder joins Before joining Caltech in as a professor of materials science 1996, Haile spent three years as an and engineering. assistant professor at the University “There are three things of Washington in Seattle. She has G. Jeffrey Snyder that bring me to Northwestern: received many awards, including people, people, and people,” Haile the NSF National Young Investigator said. “I am absolutely delighted Award, Humboldt Fellowship, “The collaborative Fulbright Fellowship, AT&T at the innumerable collaboration environment here makes possibilities that seem to pop up Cooperative Research Fellowship, science more exciting.” around every corner. Add to that Coble Award from the American G. Jeffrey Snyder the phenomenal facilities, and it’s Ceramics Society, and TMS Robert a winning recipe.” Lansing Hardy Award. “With Northwestern’s Snyder is interested in solid- From 1997-2006, Snyder state chemistry, physics, and served as a senior member of the Sossina Haile world-class faculty and facilities, it’s easy to explore new ideas and engineering of electronic, magnetic, technical staff at Caltech and NASA’s techniques,” Snyder added.