DeSimone named recipient of 22nd Heinz Award

Joseph DeSimone, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at North Carolina State University and the Chancellor’s Eminent Professor of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill, has been named one of five recipients of the 22nd Heinz Award in the Technology, the Economy and Employment category.

Awarded by the Heinz Family Foundation, the honor recognizes the extraordinary achievements of individuals in the arts and humanities; environment; human condition; public policy; and technology, the economy and employment.

DeSimone was selected because of his achievements in developing and commercializing advanced technologies in green chemistry, nanoparticle fabrication, precision medicine and 3-D printing. The award also recognizes his leadership in convergence research, a new model that integrates life, physical and engineering sciences to achieve innovations that positively impact human life in the areas of health, environment, energy and the economy.

During his nearly three-decade career at North Carolina State University and UNC-Chapel Hill, DeSimone’s innovations have ranged from creating environmentally safe processes to make everyday materials, such as detergents, to engineering medical cures on the nano-level.

He has more than 350 publications and holds nearly 200 patents, which have also led him to found multiple companies based on his work.

A member of all three branches of the National Academies, DeSimone has also been the recipient of the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the Kabiller Prize in Nanoscience and Nanomedicine from Northwestern University’s International Institute for Nanotechnology and the Lemelson-MIT Prize.