Samuel Stupp to receive honorary doctorate from TU/e

Dr. Samuel I. Stupp, Board of Trustees Professor of Materials Science, Chemistry and Medicine, Director, Institute for BioNantechnology in Medicine, BS, chemistry, 1972 University of California, Los Angeles, PhD, materials science and engineering, 1977 Northwestern University

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in The Netherlands will award an honorary doctorate to Dr. Samuel I. Stupp, director of the Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine, at Northwestern University, Chicago. He will be awarded on the Dies Natalis of TU/e, on Friday, 24 April 2009. Stupp (57) is being honored for his revolutionary research into soft matter and applications for complex molecular systems in biomedical technology. His findings are being used in such areas as regenerative medicine, cancer therapies and functional materials. Stupp will be presented with his honorary doctorate as part of the festivities surrounding TU/e's 53rd annual Dies Natalis.

Stupp was nominated by university professor Bert Meijer, a professor of organic chemistry in the departments of Chemical Engineering as well as Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, at TU/e.

Biomaterials and Self-assembly

At the moment, Stupp is studying biomaterials and functional devices. He wants to obtain a better understanding of the relationship between structures on a very small scale – the nanoscale – and the properties of a material at the macro-scale. Self-assembly and self-organization of large and small molecules are crucial to this.

Stupp's research has broad implications for treating injured spinal cords and regenerating heart muscle after a heart attack, among other things. His many articles in leading scientific journals as Nature and Science testify to the diversity and value of his work.

Multiple Disciplines

In the words of nominator Meijer, Stupp's great strength lies in "his ability to discover the interfaces between a range of disciplines, so that researchers in those disciplines feel truly motivated to help solve a particular scientific or technological problem."

Stupp is a professor at Northwestern University (in Evanston/Chicago, United States) and has also served as the director of the university's Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine since 2000. In that capacity, he has appointments in several departments, which plays to his great strength: interdisciplinary thought.

Enhancing Collaboration

The appointment of Stupp as an honorary doctor will provide a valuable boost to both biomedical and polymer research at TU/e. Beyond that, his research intersects that of the TU/e Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, launched earlier this year.

Meijer predicts that the honorary doctorate will enhance the collaborative efforts already taking place, for instance through exchanges of doctoral candidates and research staff with the Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine. And all of this will strengthen the impact of TU/e's research in the field of biomedical technology.

Samuel Stupp has published close to 250 scientific articles and has 30 patents in his name. In 2006, he was named one of the "15 Scientists That Will Change Your World" by the Biotechnology Industrial Organization. ###

Contact: Jim Heirbaut j.heirbaut@tue.nl 31-641-942-160 Eindhoven University of Technology