David Mandrus, a professor in UT’s College of Engineering, has been selected as the first Jerry and Kay Henry Endowed Professor.
Mandrus, of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, was chosen for the honor because of his research, teaching, and publication record.
“To be able to see David Mandrus honored in this way is a great reward for his dedication to his job and to the college,” said College of Engineering Dean Wayne Davis. “He has brought a lot of positive attention to us, so it’s nice to see him get recognition for that.”
A fellow of the American Physical Society, Mandrus has done work covering everything from LED research to researching materials for the electronics of the future.
The endowment, which comes with a monthly stipend and is designed to be extended every five years, highlights what is proving to be a banner year for Mandrus, who serves in a joint faculty position with Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
“We are delighted with the selection of David Mandrus and the recognition his work brings to the College of Engineering, and wish him every success,” said Jerry Henry, who said he and his wife view their endowment as a way to contribute to “a great university.”
“Our reward now is to see UT excel in continuing to build on that foundation for future generations,” he said.
Since February, Mandrus’s work has appeared in the noted scientific journal Nature twice, he has been chosen as a Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Synthesis Investigator, and he was one of three UT College of Engineering professors recently named to the “World’s Most Influential Minds” list by Thomsen Reuters.
“This is a special honor for me, and it helps brings an increased focus on our department and our college,” said Mandrus. “This will have an impact on not only my research, but also on the visibility of some of the other things going on in materials science and help show how special our department is.”
Mandrus is currently working on a project involving the use of the intrinsic magnetism, or spin, of electrons to create new possibilities for future electronic devices, including sensors and new types of computer memory. These new devices will be smaller and require practically no energy to operate.
He is also a member of a University of Washington-led team taking part in the National Science Foundation Office of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation’s recently announced initiative to develop 2-D technology advancements.
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C O N T A C T :
David Goddard (865-974-0683, david.goddard@utk.edu)