Alan T. Waterman Award 2017

美国国家科学基金会（NSF）任命乔治亚理工学院机械工程副教授Baratunde Cola博士为2017年艾伦·t·沃特曼奖获得者。该奖项是美国国家科学基金会的最高荣誉，每年表彰35岁以下的杰出研究人员，并资助他或她在任何科学或工程领域的研究。他在纳米结构热界面材料的合成、表征和理解方面做出了开创性的贡献。科拉博士是他这一代最具创造力、生产力和创新精神的年轻科学家之一。他在机械和电气工程、化学和材料科学领域的跨学科工作得到认可，以设计具有新型热性能和功能的新材料。作为一位国际知名的多产学者，科拉开发了一个独特的研究项目，设计了新颖的热界面材料，并以前所未有的热特性增强了这些材料。科拉博士在热界面领域掀起了一场革命，他采用了一系列新颖的方法来创造具有无与伦比性能的材料。最近，科拉的研究导致发现了第一个导热的非晶聚合物；第一个利用碳纳米管电极利用废热发电的实用热电化学电池；第一个表面光子极化传导热能的证据，以及第一个完整描述通过碳纳米管阵列的热传输，与他的开创性实验数据相对应。为了表彰他杰出的研究贡献，他获得了多个奖项，包括ASME Bergles-Rohsenow青年研究者奖（2015年），亚特兰大商业纪事报的40位40岁以下青年研究员（2015年），美国国家科学院美国Kavli科学前沿研究员（2014年），美国国家工程院美国工程教育前沿研讨会研究员（2014年，2013年），美国科学促进会公众参与科学早期职业奖（2013年）。总统科学家和工程师早期职业奖（2012年）和美国国家科学基金会职业奖（2011年）。他拥有11项与能量转移和纳米技术相关的已发布或正在申请的专利，是Carbice Nanotechnologies的创始人，他是该公司的首席执行官兼董事长。Cola作为PI获得了来自化学，生物工程，环境和运输系统部门（PECASE/CAREER award 1055479），工程和教育中心部门（1407187），工业创新和伙伴关系部门（1561881,1343265）以及新兴前沿和多学科活动（1410572）的资助，这些部门都隶属于工程理事会。

The National Science Foundation (NSF) named Dr. Baratunde Cola, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, as the 2017 Alan T. Waterman Award recipient. This award is NSF's highest honor that annually recognizes an outstanding researcher under the age of 35 and funds his or her research in any field of science or engineering. Dr. Cola pioneered contributions to the synthesis, characterization and understanding of nanostructured thermal interface materials. Dr. Cola is one of the most creative, productive, and innovative young scientists of his generation. He is recognized for interdisciplinary work spanning the fields of mechanical and electrical engineering, chemistry, and materials science to design new materials with novel thermal properties and functionality. An internationally known and prolific scholar, Cola has developed a distinctive research program that designs novel thermal interface materials, and enhances these materials with unprecedented thermal characteristics. Dr. Cola is revolutionizing the subject of thermal interfaces as he utilizes an array of novel methods to create materials displaying unparalleled properties. Recently, Cola's research resulted in the discovery of the first thermally conductive amorphous polymer; the first practical thermo-electrochemical cells for producing electricity from wasted heat using carbon nanotube electrodes; the first evidence of thermal energy conduction by surface photon polaritons, and the first complete depiction of thermal transport through carbon nanotube arrays to correspond with his seminal experimental data.In recognition of Dr. Cola's outstanding research contributions, he has received several awards, including, the ASME Bergles-Rohsenow Young Investigator Award (2015), Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 under 40 (2015), National Academy of Sciences US Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow (2014), National Academy of Engineering U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Education Symposium Fellow (2014, 2013), AAAS Early Career Award for Public Engagement with Science (2013), Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (2012), and NSF CAREER Award (2011). He holds 11 issued or pending patents related to energy transfer and nanotechnology, and is the founder of Carbice Nanotechnologies, of which he is CEO and Chairman.Dr. Cola has received funding as a PI from the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (PECASE/CAREER award 1055479), the Division of Engineering and Education Centers (1407187), the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnership (1561881, 1343265), and the Emerging Frontiers and Multidisciplinary Activities (1410572), all in the Engineering Directorate.