Mark Hersam Awarded Ver Steeg Fellowship
Award recognizes tenured faculty who have made major research contributions
Northwestern Engineering’s Mark Hersam is one of two University faculty members to receive the 18th annual Dorothy Ann and Clarence L. Ver Steeg Distinguished Research Fellowship Award.
The Ver Steeg Fellowship supports scholarship and research by tenured Northwestern faculty whose work enhances the national and international reputation of the University. The honor includes a $45,000 award for each recipient.
Hersam, an expert in nanoelectronic materials and their applications, was recognized alongside Moya Bailey of the School of Communication.
“Through their work in vastly different fields, Professor Bailey and Professor Hersam demonstrate the strength and breadth of Northwestern’s research impact,” said Provost Kathleen Hagerty, whose office bestows the Ver Steeg Fellowship annually. “I am proud to honor these faculty members for their contributions to Northwestern’s excellence.”
Hersam is the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and director of Northwestern’s Materials Research Center. He also holds faculty appointments in the departments of chemistry, applied physics, medicine and electrical engineering.
“I am deeply grateful to the Ver Steeg family for this tremendous honor,” Hersam said. “I look forward to using the Ver Steeg Fellowship to accelerate our research into new nanoelectronic materials that are serving as the basis of next-generation computing and renewable energy technologies.”
Hersam’s research interests include nanomaterials, nanomanufacturing, scanning probe microscopy, nanoelectronic devices, biosensors, and renewable energy. He is highly engaged in education and outreach at all levels including regularly giving public lectures, participating in Northwestern’s All-Scout Nano Day, serving as director of the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Research Experience for Undergraduates Program for 12 years, and developing the Materials Science Exhibit in partnership with the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago.
Hersam has received numerous honors including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, TMS Robert Lansing Hardy Award, AVS Peter Mark Award, MRS Outstanding Young Investigator, US Science Envoy, the MacArthur Fellowship, and eight Teacher of the Year Awards. An elected member of the National Academy of Inventors, he has founded two companies, NanoIntegris and Volexion, which are commercial suppliers of nanoelectronic and battery materials, respectively.
The Ver Steeg Fellowship was established and endowed by the late Clarence L. Ver Steeg and his wife, Dorothy. Clarence Ver Steeg was a Northwestern faculty member for many years in the department of history and served as dean of The Graduate School from 1975 to 1986.
The complete list of award recipients can be found on the Office of the Provost website.