Brook Byers Professors Honored

Elsa Reichmanis has been selected as the 2018 recipient of the American Chemical Society’s National Award in the Chemistry of Materials (sponsored by DuPont).  Marilyn Brown was appointed as a Regents Professor by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, as well as being given a Champion in Energy Efficiency in Industry Award by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

Elsa Reichmanis is a professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.  Her work in understanding the molecular structure and function of materials for microelectronics manufacturing has had notable impact on the field.  In 1995, she was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, as well as becoming an AT&T Bell Laboratories Fellow.  Reichmanis was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1997.  In 2003, she served as president of the American Chemical Society.  With the Reichmanis Research Group at Georgia Tech, she explores her research interests in the chemistry, properties, and applications of materials technologies for electronic and photonic applications.  In particular, her group’s research can be applied to the modeling and manufacturing of new materials, and their application in new battery technologies, liquid crystals, and biomaterials, all of which have significant potential applications in various sustainability and energy technologies.

Marilyn Brown is a professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Public Policy.  Before coming to Georgia Tech, Brown had a distinguished career at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.  She has served on eight different National Academies of Sciences committees, and is currently serving on the NAS Geosciences Committee.  Brown served on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority by presidential appointment from 2010 – 2017.  She also co-founded the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance.  She is currently serving her second term on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Electricity Advisory Committee.  In 2013, she established, and continues to direct, the Climate and Energy Policy Lab.  Her research focuses on the design and impact of policies aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of sustainable energy technologies, with an emphasis on the electric utility industry, the integration of energy efficiency, demand response, and solar resources, and ways of improving resiliency to disruptions.

In January 2014, Marilyn Brown and Elsa Reichmanis were named Brook Byers Professors, along with Bert Bras (Mechanical Engineering). Made possible by a gift from Shawn and Brook Byers, a 1968 Georgia Tech alumnus in Electrical Engineering, the Brook Byers Professorships provide resources to enable and enhance cross-disciplinary, collaborative research and education in sustainability, energy, and water. Recommended by their peers, the three recipients were chosen by the Provost and approved by the Board of Regents. The appointments recognize superior scholarly achievement and the potential for further progress. The Brook Byers Professorship is the highest title bestowed at Georgia Tech for those specifically engaged in sustainability related research and education.