Craig Hawker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Craig Hawker
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | 11 January 1964 Queensland, Australia |
| Citizenship | Australian and american |
| Occupation |
|
| Awards |
|
| Academic career | |
| Fields | Polymer science |
| Institutions | Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara |
Craig Jon Hawker (born 11 January 1964) is a famous chemist from Australia. He studies how to create new materials by combining different types of chemistry. His work focuses on making special large molecules called polymers. These polymers are used in many cool areas like biotechnology (think medicine and living things), microelectronics (like computer chips), and surface science (how materials behave on their outer layers).
Craig Hawker has invented many things, holding over 45 patents in the U.S. He has also written more than 300 scientific papers. These papers cover topics like nanotechnology (working with tiny materials), materials science (studying how materials are made and what they do), and chemistry. He was even named one of the top 100 most cited chemists in the world for two different decades!
In 2021, Craig Hawker became a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This was for his important work in polymer chemistry. He helped create new ways to build molecules. He is also in charge of the California Nanosystems Institute. He leads several other labs at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In 2022, he was also elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Learning About Chemistry
Craig Hawker was born in Australia. He went to high school in Queensland. It was there that he first became interested in chemistry. He said he liked it because it let him "develop things with my hands." He felt chemistry was a very hands-on science.
He studied at the University of Queensland. He earned a degree in Chemistry. Later, he went to Cambridge University in England for his advanced studies. He worked with Professor Alan R. Battersby and earned his PhD in bio-organic chemistry. After that, in 1988, Hawker moved to the United States. He continued his research at Cornell University.
Where He Works
In 1990, Craig Hawker went back to Queensland, Australia. He worked as a research fellow at the University of Queensland. From 2004, he was a researcher at the IBM Almaden Research Center in California.
Today, Hawker leads the California NanoSystems Institute. He is also a co-director of the Materials Research Laboratory. He holds a special position as the Alan and Ruth Heeger Professor of Interdisciplinary Science. All of these roles are at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
His Amazing Discoveries
In 2012, Craig Hawker won the Centenary Prize from the Royal Society. He received this award for creating new ways to design polymers. His ideas have greatly influenced how scientists study and make polymers.
In 2013, Hawker and a friend invented Olaplex. This is a very successful product that helps repair damaged hair. It works by relinking the bonds inside hair. In 2018, Olaplex won a legal case against another company, L'Oréal, about their patent.
In 2015, Hawker was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This honor was for "revolutionizing materials research." He developed powerful new ways to create and engineer useful large molecules. His work inspires scientists in many different fields. He also helps edit important science journals. These include the Journal of Polymer Science. He is on the board for other chemistry journals too.
In 2017, people called Hawker "one of the top materials scientists in the world." In 2018, he and his team created a new 3D-printing method. This method can make objects that are both stiff and flexible at the same time. This means scientists can create structures that are inspired by nature. These structures can have different strengths and chemical properties. Hawker continues to research tiny, structured materials. He focuses on areas like microelectronics and biotechnology.
Awards and Honors
Craig Hawker has received many awards for his important work:
- 2023: Honorary doctorate from Eindhoven University of Technology
- 2021: Member of the National Academy of Engineering
- 2017: Charles G. Overberger International Prize for Excellence in Polymer Research
- 2016: Belgian Polymer Award
- 2016: Member of the National Academy of Inventors
- 2015: Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
- 2013: ACS Award in Polymer Chemistry, American Chemical Society
- 2012: Centenary Prize, Royal Society of Chemistry
- 2011: Arthur C. Cope Scholar, American Chemical Society
- 2010: Fellow, Royal Society
- 2010: Fellow, American Chemical Society
- 2010: Polymer Division Fellow, American Chemical Society
- 2010: Named in top 100 most cited chemists (2000–2010)
- 2009: PMSE Fellow, American Chemical Society
- 2008: Inaugural DSM Performance Materials Award, International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
- 2007: Mark Scholar Award, American Chemical Society
- 2006: IBM Research Division Award
- 2005: Dutch Polymer Award, Dutch Chemical Institute
- 2004: Industrial Scientist Award, American Chemical Society
- 2003: Co-operative Research Award, American Chemical Society
- 2002: IBM Corporate Technical Recognition Award
- 2000: Young Scientists Award, International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
- 1999: Patent Invention Award, IBM Corporation
- 1997: Patent Invention Award, IBM Corporation
- 1995: Innovation Award, IBM Corporation
- 1992: Rennie Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
- 1992: Research Award, Australian Research Council
- 1991: Treloar Prize, Polymer Division, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
- 1990: Queen Elizabeth II Research Fellowship, Australian Research Council
- 1988: Science Fellow, Harkness Fellowships
- 1985: 1851 Research Scholarship, Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851
- 1985: Overseas Research Scheme Award, Science and Engineering Research Council
- 1985: Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan Award, British Council
- 1985: Masson Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
- 1985: University Medal, University of Queensland
- 1984: Poole Award, University of Queensland
- 1984: CSR Chemicals Prize, University of Queensland
- 1983: Douglas McNaughton Scholarship, University of Queensland
- 1983: T. G. H. Jones Scholarship, University of Queensland
- 1982: Edward Taylor Memorial Prize, University of Queensland
- 1981: Chemistry Prize, University of Queensland
