Sharon Glotzer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sharon C. Glotzer
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| Born |
New York City, United States
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| Known for | Directional Entropic Force Self-assembly Patchy particles |
| Awards | Simons Investigator, 2012–2021 Member, National Academy Engineering, 2019 Member, National Academy Sciences, 2014 Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2011 Fellow, American Physical Society Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, American Institute of Chemical Engineers Fellow, Materials Research Society Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellow, 2009–2014 Aneesur Rahman Prize in Computational Physics, American Physical Society MRS Medal, Materials Research Society Alpha Chi Sigma Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers Nanoscale Science & Engineering Forum Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers Charles M.E. Stine Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics Chemistry Materials Science Chemical Engineering |
| Institutions | University of Michigan |
| Doctoral advisor | H. Eugene Stanley |
Sharon C. Glotzer is an American scientist who works like a "digital alchemist". She is a top professor at the University of Michigan. There, she teaches and researches in many areas, including chemical engineering, materials science, and physics.
Professor Glotzer is famous for her work in soft matter and computer science. She studies how tiny particles arrange themselves. She also researches the glass transition, which is how liquids turn into glass-like solids. Her discoveries have helped us understand how materials behave at a very small scale. She is a member of several important science groups, like the National Academy of Sciences.
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Early Life and Education
Sharon Glotzer was born in New York City, United States. She studied physics at the University of California, Los Angeles. She earned her first degree there in 1987.
Later, she got her PhD in 1993 from Boston University. Her research focused on how soft materials behave. Her teacher and guide was H. Eugene Stanley.
Academic Journey
In 1993, Sharon Glotzer started working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This was in Gaithersburg, Maryland. She began as a special research fellow.
She soon became a permanent member of the Polymers Division at NIST. From 1994 to 2000, she helped lead the NIST Center for Theoretical and Computational Materials Science.
In 2001, she moved to the University of Michigan. She became a professor in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering. Today, she holds several important leadership roles there. She is the head of the Chemical Engineering Department. She also teaches in physics and applied physics.
Amazing Discoveries and Research
Professor Glotzer has made big steps in understanding the glass transition. This is when a liquid cools down but doesn't form a crystal. Instead, it becomes a solid that still looks like a liquid inside. She used computer simulations to show how particles move in these "glassy" liquids. She found that they move in special string-like patterns.
She also worked with Michael J. Solomon on "patchy particles." These are tiny particles with sticky spots on their surfaces. Their work showed how these particles can connect in specific ways. This has inspired many scientists around the world.
Glotzer and her team also found the densest way to pack tetrahedron shapes. A tetrahedron is a 3D shape with four triangular faces. They discovered that these hard tetrahedrons can even build a special pattern called a dodecagonal quasicrystal. This is a unique structure that doesn't repeat like a normal crystal.
Directional Entropic Forces
In 2011, Professor Glotzer and her team came up with a new idea called 'Directional Entropic Forces'. This idea explains why certain particles line up in specific ways when they self-assemble. It's like an invisible force that guides them based on their shape.
This concept helps scientists predict how particles will arrange themselves. It allows them to guess what kind of crystal or structure will form. This is very useful for designing new materials.
Her research papers have been cited over 22,000 times by other scientists. This shows how important and influential her work is in the scientific community.
Awards and Recognitions
Sharon Glotzer has received many honors for her work. In 2019, she became a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This was for her computer-based ideas on how to design and make advanced materials.
She also joined the National Academy of Sciences in 2014. In 2011, she became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. These are some of the highest honors for scientists in the United States.
She is also a Fellow of many important scientific groups. These include the American Physical Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. She was also named a Simons Investigator in 2012. This award gives scientists a lot of funding to do their research freely.
Professor Glotzer has won many other awards too. These include the Aneesur Rahman Prize in Computational Physics and the Maria Goeppert-Mayer Award. Both are from the American Physical Society. She also received a special award from the President for early career scientists.
