Angela Belcher received her BA in Creative Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1991, and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1997. She was a member of the faculty of the University of Texas, Austin from 1999 to 2002, and joined the the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2002.
Angela Belcher is now the W.M. Keck Professor of Energy in Materials Science and Engineering and Biological Engineering at MIT. Prof. Belcher is a materials chemist with expertise in the fields of biomaterials, biomolecular materials, organic-inorganic interfaces and solid state chemistry. The focus of Prof. Belcher’s research is understanding and using the process by which nature makes materials in order to design novel hybrid organic-inorganic electronic and magnetic materials on new length scales. She then uses these materials in applications as varied as solar cells, batteries, medical diagnostics and basic single molecule interactions related to disease. Her research is highly interdisciplinary and brings together the fields of inorganic chemistry, materials chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology and electrical engineering.
You can find a fun animated presentation of Prof. Belcher’s life story by clicking here.
AWARDS and FELLOWSHIPS
- Boston Museum of Science “Walker Prize” (2012)
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2012)
- Eni Prize for Renewable & Non-Conventional Energy (2010)
- Elle Magazine “Gold Award” (2010)
- UAB Ireland Distinguished Visiting Scholar Award (2010)
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute Honorary Doctorate (2010)
- Rolling Stone Magazine “100 People Who Are Changing America” (2009)
- Time Magazine “Hero”- Climate Change (2007)
- Popular Mechanic’s Breakthrough Award (2006)
- Scientific American’s Researcher of the Year (2006)
- Finalist for Innovator of the Year in Nanoscience (2005)
- MacArthur Fellowship Award (2004)
- Elected Young Global Leader, World Economics Forum (2004)
- Four Star General Recognition Award (US Army) (2004)
- Fortune Top 10 Innovators under 40 (2003)
- World Technology Award in Materials Science (2002)
- Finalist for Innovator of the Year in Nanoscience (2002)
- Finalist for Researcher of the Year in Nanoscience (2002)
- Named Top 10 Brilliant Scientist by Popular Science (2002)
- 1 of 12 Women on the Forefront of Chemistry—C&E News (2002)
- Technology Review Top 100 Inventors (TR100) (2002)
- Packard Foundation Fellow (2001)
- Wilson Prize in Chemistry—Harvard University (2001
- Harrington Faculty Fellowship (2001)
- Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow (2001)
- Pres. Early Career Award in Sci. & Eng. (PECASE) (2000)
- Beckman Young Investigator Award (2000)
- DuPont Young Investigator Award (1999)
- Army Young Investigator Award (1999)