Matthew Tirrell, the dean and Founding Pritzker Director of the Institute for Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Tirrell, an influential scholar in the field of polymer science, is one of 100 scientists and 25 foreign associates recognized by their peers for “their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.” This year’s newly elected members were announced April 30.
Tirrell’s research specializes in the manipulation and measurement of polymer surface properties. His transformative work has provided new insight into phenomena such as adhesion, friction and biocompatibility, and contributed to the development of new materials based on self-assembly of synthetic and bio-inspired materials.
Since Tirrell was appointed in 2011 to lead the Institute of Molecular Engineering, UChicago scientists and engineers have filed 27 patent disclosures and launched six companies in fields from quantum engineering and biotechnology to autonomous materials and energy storage. Tirrell also has simultaneously served as Deputy Laboratory Director for Science and Chief Research Officer at UChicago-affiliated Argonne National Laboratory.
Tirrell is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and the Indian National Academy of Engineering. He is also a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers, the American Academy for the Advancement of Science, and the American Physical Society.
—Prof. Jacqueline Stewart
