Elsa Reichmanis, an acclaimed polymer chemist and member of the National Academy of Engineering, will join the Rossin College as the Carl R. Anderson Endowed Chair in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. She will begin her tenure on Sept. 1, 2020.
Currently the Pete Silas Chaired Professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Reichmanis is a groundbreaking researcher and pioneer in the world of microlithography. She is the former president of the American Chemical Society and, before arriving at Georgia Tech, served as Director of the Materials Research Department at Bell Labs.
"I am delighted to welcome Professor Reichmanis to Lehigh," says Stephen P. DeWeerth, professor and dean of the Rossin College. "As her many accomplishments and awards clearly demonstrate, Dr. Reichmanis is an exceptional scholar and academic leader. We expect that she will bring this scholarship and leadership to the Lehigh faculty, expanding our research impact and catalyzing new areas of interdisciplinary collaboration. It is truly an honor for the Rossin College to have her join our ranks."
Reichmanis, whose work cuts across the fields of chemical engineering, chemistry, materials science, optics, and electronics, says she was drawn to Lehigh because of the opportunity to build on already existing interdisciplinary research initiatives, and to conceptualize and develop new ones.
“One of the things that attracted me to Lehigh was the clear strengths the university has in terms of interdisciplinary research,” Reichmanis says. “My research during my time at Bell was very interdisciplinary and very collaborative, and that kind of work is something that I truly enjoy—having the opportunity to engage in collaborative programs where you are really interacting with different people in different fields. So I’m very excited about this opportunity.”
"We are thrilled to have Professor Elsa Reichmanis join our department as the next Carl R. Anderson Endowed Chair," says Mayuresh V. Kothare, the R.L. McCann Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. "Elsa is an internationally recognized scholar, inventor, mentor and leader in the study of organic polymers and hybrid materials for use in energy and other related applications. The ChBE faculty is looking forward with great excitement to welcome her as a colleague.
Story by Tim Hyland
Read the full story in the Lehigh University News Center.
