UCI materials engineer wins Presidential Early Career Award

President Barack Obama has named UCI’s Alon Gorodetsky as one of 105 new recipients of the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their careers. Recognition of the assistant professor of chemical engineering & materials science comes with a $1 million award from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Gorodetsky’s work involves understanding and emulating the adaptive properties of squid skin. Funded by the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy, he has developed novel bio-inspired materials, including infrared stealth camouflage coatings for military applications and a new type of fabric that lets wearers regulate their own body temperature, as well as bioelectronic devices for interfacing with living systems. “I am humbled by this honor and very excited about the award,” Gorodetsky said. “The money will let my group take some of its work in exciting and risky new directions.” The awards, established by President Bill Clinton in 1996, are coordinated by the Office of Science & Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President.