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Ayusman Sen named Verne M. Willaman Professor of Chemistry

18 July 2019
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Ayusman Sen, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, has been named the Verne M. Willaman Professor of Chemistry. The appointment recognizes Dr. Sen’s commitment to excellence in research and the contributions of the Sen group to the expanding field of synthetic active matter and nano/micro-robots.

The Willaman Professorships were established in 1999 by Verne M. Willaman, a 1951 graduate of Penn State. The professorships provide outstanding faculty members with a supplemental source of support to further their research, teaching, writing, and public service.

“It is a great honor to receive the Verne M. Willaman Chair in Chemistry,” says Dr. Sen.

The Sen group is currently developing new ways to engineer dynamic materials at the molecular level. Their work focuses on nanotechnology, nanomotor, and nanopump research, they specifically examine how nano- and micro-scale objects can generate chemically-powered motion to move on their own or to act as fluid pumps. 

Dr. Sen notes that the Verne M. Willaman appointment will support the group’s important work by facilitating travel to conferences and supporting collaborations with other researchers in the U.S. and abroad.  Department Head Philip Bevilacqua added, “Ayusman has been a model for excellence in the Penn State Chemistry Department for 40 years. What impresses most about his research program is that it never stands still: Ayusman continues to push in new directions and to innovate.  His commitment to research, teaching and service inspires all of us.”

Dr. Sen has co-authored over 350 papers, and his work has been cited more than 20,000 times. He was recently named a recipient of the Humboldt Research Award and the Langmuir Lecture Award.

Please join the Department of Chemistry in congratulating Ayusman Sen on this exciting achievement. 

For more information about the Sen group, please visit their website.

Communications Coordinator