Benjamin Hsiao facts for kids

Benjamin S. Hsiao (born 12 August 1958) is an American materials scientist and educator. He is known for his important work in understanding and using polymers, which are large molecules made of repeating units. He also served as a leader at Stony Brook University, helping to guide their research efforts.

Becoming a Scientist and Educator

Early Life and Studies

Benjamin S. Hsiao was born in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1958. He went to a special high school there called Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School. After high school, he studied chemical engineering at the National Taiwan University. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1980.

In 1982, he moved to the United States. He joined a special program in Polymer Science at the University of Connecticut. He earned his PhD in 1987. During his studies, he became a member of two important honor societies: Sigma Xi and Phi Kappa Phi.

Working in Research and Universities

After finishing his PhD, Dr. Hsiao worked as a research fellow at the University of Massachusetts. He then joined the DuPont Company, a big science and engineering company, where he worked for eight years.

In 1997, Dr. Hsiao started his career in universities. He became an assistant professor at Stony Brook University. He quickly moved up, becoming a full professor in 2002. In 2007, he became the head of the chemistry department. Under his leadership, the department became one of the best in the country. It was even recognized as a National Historic Landmark because of the invention of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) there.

From 2012 to 2013, Dr. Hsiao was the vice president for research at Stony Brook University. In this role, he helped guide all the research happening at the university. He worked to make research activities more organized and open. He also started new research projects to help Stony Brook University become even better at science.

Dr. Hsiao has also been a guest professor at several universities in China since 2008. These include Donghua University and Beijing University of Chemical Technology.

Amazing Discoveries and Research

Understanding Polymers

Dr. Hsiao's research focuses on understanding polymers. He studies how these materials are built and how they change when they are made or used. He looks at them at very tiny levels, from molecules to nanoscale sizes.

Making Water Cleaner

One of Dr. Hsiao's most important contributions is in water purification. Working with his colleague Benjamin Chu, he helped create new ways to filter water. They used a method called electrospinning to make special filters from cellulose nanofibers. These filters have tiny pores that can remove impurities from water.

These new filters are very efficient. They allow water to flow through quickly without getting clogged easily. This means they use less energy and can be used for many things, like cleaning salty water (desalination) or even helping to create energy.

Helping Medicine

Dr. Hsiao's work with nanofibers is also useful in medicine. These tiny fibers can be used for tissue engineering, which is about growing new tissues or organs. They can also help with drug delivery, making sure medicines get to the right place in the body.

For example, Dr. Hsiao and Dr. Chu have developed nanofiber scaffolds. These are like tiny frameworks that help cells grow into new tissues, such as heart tissue. Their research also helps prevent problems after surgery.

Studying Materials with X-rays

To understand how polymers crystallize and behave, Dr. Hsiao's lab uses special X-ray techniques. They use small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). These methods let them see the structure and movement of polymers in real time.

SAXS helps them see larger structures, while WAXD looks at the atomic structure of crystals. In 1997, Dr. Hsiao and Ben Chu helped create a special X-ray beamline (X27C) at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This was specifically for polymer research.

Dr. Hsiao has published many scientific papers and holds several patents for his inventions. He has also given many talks around the world about his research.

Awards and Recognitions

Dr. Hsiao has received many honors for his work, including:

• University of Connecticut Doctoral Fellowship, 1985
• DuPont Young Professor Award, 1998–2001
• Fellow, American Physical Society, 2002
• Fellow, American Chemical Society, 2011
• Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 2011. This award recognized his important work in polymer science, water purification, and chemical education.
• Licensed Innovation Award, Research Foundation of State University of New York, 2005
• Special Creativity Award, Division of Materials Research, National Science Foundation, 2007
• Chang-Jiang Professor Scholarship (in Donghua University, Shanghai), Education Ministry of China, 2008
• Charter Fellow, National Academy of Inventors, 2013

Involvement in the Scientific Community

Dr. Hsiao is an active member of the scientific community. He has been part of the editorial boards for several important scientific journals, like Macromolecules and Polymer. This means he helps decide which research papers get published.

He is also a member of many professional societies, including:

• American Institute of Chemical Engineers
• American Chemical Society
• American Physical Society
• American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Materials Research Society