MRS Congratulates Physicist Mildred Dresselhaus on Presidential Medal of Freedom
WARRENDALE, PA – [November 24, 2014] – The Materials Research Society (MRS) congratulates Mildred Dresselhaus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on today’s award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the United States. Dresselhaus was among 19 winners honored today by President Barack Obama. The list also includes the late dancer Alvin Ailey, news anchor Tom Brokaw, actress Meryl Streep, musician Stevie Wonder and economist Robert Solow.
Dresselhaus “is one of the most prominent physicists, materials scientists, and electrical engineers of her generation,” according to a White House statement. “A professor of physics and electrical engineering at MIT, she is best known for deepening our understanding of condensed matter systems and the atomic properties of carbon, which has contributed to major advances in electronics and materials research.”
Dresselhaus is a long-time MRS member and active volunteer—serving on various MRS committees and editorial boards and engaging with MRS University Chapters and MRS leadership. She is an MRS Fellow and received the Society’s highest honor, the Von Hippel Award, at the 2013 MRS Fall Meeting. Dresselhaus recently spoke to MRS about her life and work.
Dresselhaus has enjoyed a prolific publishing career, including numerous articles in the MRS Journals Collection. In fact, she is known to have published in the inaugural issue (Volume 1, Issue 01) of Journal of Materials Research—MRS’s premier archival materials science journal—in 1986. In celebration of Dresselhaus and her tremendous achievements, MRS and its publishing partner, Cambridge University Press, have made articles from the MRS Journals Collection, authored by or about Dresselhaus, free until December 31. Visit journals.cambridge.org/
About the Materials Research Society
MRS is an international organization of almost 16,000 materials researchers from academia, industry and government, and a recognized leader in promoting the advancement of interdisciplinary materials research and technology to improve the quality of life. MRS members are engaged and enthusiastic professionals hailing from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and engineering—the full spectrum of materials research. Headquartered in Warrendale, Pennsylvania (USA), MRS membership now spans over 80 countries, with more than 48 percent of members residing outside the United States. In addition to its communications and publications portfolio, MRS organizes high-quality scientific meetings, attracting over 13,000 attendees annually and facilitating interactions among a wide range of experts from the cutting edge of the global materials community. MRS is also a recognized leader in education outreach and advocacy for scientific research. More information about the Materials Research Society can be found on its website, www.mrs.org.