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Harry Allcock and Tom Mallouk Inducted as Penn State Materials Research Institute Pioneers of Materials

9 July 2019
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Evan Pugh University Professors of Chemistry Harry Allcock and Tom Mallouk were recently Inducted as Penn State Materials Research Institute Pioneers of Materials.

The Pioneers of Materials project commemorates significant figures and events in the story of materials research at Penn State. The pioneers are celebrated in a series of posters displayed in a permanent exhibit in the Millennium Science Complex. The field of materials draws from many disciplines, and these posters represent the diverse expertise that has made Penn State an international leader in interdisciplinary materials science and engineering.

The posters are printed on high-quality aluminum, and the photos are heat infused into the metal to create prints that will resist fading for 65 years. In 2017, the institute began research in the University archives for the historical photos and related materials presented in these posters. As the story continues, additional posters will be added to the walls throughout the materials wing of the Millennium Science Complex. 

Dr. Allcock was recognized for his work with polymers. He works at the interdisciplinary junction between inorganic and organic chemistry, biomedicines, and materials science; he discovered a major class of polymers known as polyphosphazenes. His work has led to several hundred new polymers with applications in medicine, aerospace materials, batteries, fuel cells, solar cells, and photonic materials. 

Dr. Mallouk was recognized for his chemical approach to materials synthesis, which solved problems in many fields. Dr. Mallouk and his group were among the first to connect the fields of solid state and molecular chemistry through their molecules-to-materials approach. His work led to improved electrocatalysts, now used in electrolyzers and fuel cells. 

"The department takes great pride in the outstanding work of Professors Allcock and Mallouk.  They have led Materials research at Penn State and in the international community," notes Department of Chemistry Head Philip Bevilacqua.

The metal-print posters are on display in the second floor North Wing of the Millennium Science Complex. You can learn more about the Pioneers of Materials project here.

Please join the Department of Chemistry in congratulating Dr. Allcock and Dr. Mallouk.

Communications Coordinator