SU’s Patrick T. Mather elected fellow of two prestigious professional societies

Tricia Hopkins
(315) 443-2546

Patrick T. Mather, Milton and Ann Stevenson Professor of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering in Syracuse University’s L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science, was recently elected a fellow of two prestigious professional societies, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE).

Mather was among 96 new members who were elected to AIMBE for their outstanding achievements in medical and biological engineering. A formal induction ceremony was held Feb. 12 during the institute’s annual event at the National Academy of Sciences building in Washington, D.C. Mather’s election as a fellow recognizes his “fundamental development of polymeric materials with applications in medical and orthodontic devices and procedures.”

AIMBE was founded in 1991 to establish a clear and comprehensive identity for the field of medical and biological engineering-the bridge between the principles of engineering science and practice and the problems and issues of biological and medical science and practice. Representing more than 75,000 bioengineers, AIMBE serves and coordinates a broad constituency of medical and biological scientists and practitioners, scientific and engineering societies, academic departments and industries.

SPE is an international professional society of 20,000 members, all dedicated to advancing the science and technology of plastics. It is well known for its outstanding connectivity between industrial and academic members. To date, only 268 members have been elected to fellow status within SPE, about 10 per year, accounting for just over 1 percent of the membership. Mather’s election as a fellow will become official during the ANTEC 2009 national meeting in Chicago in June.

Mather joined SU in fall 2007 as the inaugural Stevenson Professor. He is the director of the Syracuse Biomaterials Institute (http://biomaterials.syr.edu), which was established shortly after his arrival in Syracuse to propel the University to the forefront of the development of new technology in biomaterials. He heads a lab of graduate students, a postdoctoral fellow, undergraduate students and a local high school student who are working on smart polymers for medical applications. The research group has also recently achieved a “self-healing” material that can be used for facile repair and reversible adhesion.

Mather received a master’s degree in engineering mechanics from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in materials from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He served as a materials research engineer at the U.S. Air Force’s Phillips Laboratory and led the Air Force’s polymers processing group before beginning a career in academia. He previously was a professor at the University of Connecticut and Case Western Reserve University before joining SU.

Mather is a recipient of the National Science Foundation’s prestigious CAREER Award for young faculty, which provided him with five years of research funding. While at the University of Connecticut, he co-founded two companies based on orthodontic and toy technologies. He holds 19 patents and has edited two books.