DuPont Awards Early Career Grants to Eight Promising University Research Leaders
Wilmington, Del. (PRWEB) January 17, 2017 -- DuPont has named eight young faculty members to its 2016 Class of DuPont Young Professors. Recognizing promising research talent, the company will provide this group of international faculty with more than $350,000 USD during the next two years to support their research that advances basic science knowledge to address global challenges in food, energy and protection.
The 2016 Class of DuPont Young Professors are engaged in promising research in key areas of interest to DuPont, including work in the fields of plant biology, biotechnology, materials science, photovoltaics and chemical engineering. These interests are highly aligned with DuPont’s strategic priorities of science-based innovation in the areas of agriculture and nutrition, bio-based industrials and advanced materials.
“Research and development is becoming more networked than ever. The DuPont Young Professor program is an excellent way to strengthen both academic research and industry collaboration by supporting promising young faculty,” said DuPont Senior Vice President and Chief Science & Technology Officer Douglas Muzyka. “Interactions with these researchers will further stimulate the creativity of DuPont scientists and engineers doing cutting-edge research.”
Managed by DuPont’s Science and Innovation organization, the program helps promising young and untenured research faculty begin their research careers. In addition, it supports DuPont’s strategic goal of broadening and extending DuPont’s business horizons through the advancement of emerging science that originate from inside the company as well as our research partners. The program dates to 1918, when Pierre S. du Pont selected 42 universities in the United States and provided grants that supported young faculty. Since 1968, this program has provided over $50 million in grants to more than 700 young professors in 150 institutions in 19 countries.
Members of the DuPont Young Professor Class of 2016 are key scientists on the staff of eight leading universities on four continents around the world. 2016 awards were made to the following promising young faculty:
• Rupert J. Baumgartner, Institute of Systems Sciences, Innovation and Sustainability Research, University of Graz, Austria;
• Shelley Claridge, Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, U.S.;
• Candice Hirsch, Department of Plant Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, U.S.;
• Tengfei Luo, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, U.S.;
• Peter Nemes, Department of Chemistry, George Washington University, U.S.;
• Fabien Sorin, Institute of Materials, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland;
• Ana Velez, Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, U.S.; and
• Jia Zhu, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, China.
In addition to providing unrestricted funding to new faculty, this prestigious program enables DuPont to build a foundation for future discussions and research partnerships with these selected emerging, global academic leaders. Professors are nominated by a member of the DuPont technical staff and the nominator serves as the liaison between the company and the faculty member. During the two-year award, each grant recipient is invited to present a seminar on his or her work to the DuPont research community.
DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment. For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit http://www.dupont.com.
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Jane Bachmann, DuPont, +1-515-535-4923, [email protected]
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