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Matthew Tirrell earns national award from the American Chemical Society

Matthew Tirrell, dean of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) at the University of Chicago, has earned the American Chemical Society Award in Colloid Chemistry.

In its citation, the ACS recognized Tirrell “for pioneering discoveries and applications of self-assembling peptide amphiphiles and for seminal contributions to the understanding of colloid modification with polymer brushes.”

Tirrell’s research focuses on the manipulation and measurement of polymer surface properties. His transformative work has provided new insight into phenomena such as adhesion, friction and biocompatibility, and contributed to the development of new materials based on self-assembly of synthetic and bio-inspired materials.

He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Indian National Academy of Engineering. He is also a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers, the American Academy for the Advancement of Science, and the American Physical Society.

Tirrell and other recipients of the ACS national awards will be honored at a ceremony on March 22, 2022, in conjunction with ACS Spring 2022 in San Diego.