UT Dallas scientist Dr. Ray Baughman has been ranked one of the decade’s top 100 material scientists in a list compiled by Thomson Reuters.
Baughman, who ranked 30th according to the study, is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas; a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry; and an academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences.
In August 2001, after a career in private industry, he became the Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair in Chemistry and director of the Alan G. MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute at UT Dallas.
“This impact of our work largely reflects the fertile environment for creativity that exists at UT Dallas and so many dedicated and inspired students and colleagues of all ages who have made pivotal discoveries in collaborative research,” Baughman said. “I am indebted to my colleagues, both in the NanoTech Institute and throughout the University, for our advances.”
Baughman is an expert in the field of nanotechnology, having pioneered the development of fuel-powered artificial muscles based on carbon nanotubes. He also invented a time/temperature indicator used to indicate freshness and safety for vaccines and the military rations known as Meals Ready to Eat. That technology alone, when used on vaccines, is expected to save more than 140,000 lives. More recently, he and his team invented a groundbreaking technology for producing weavable, knittable, sewable and knottable yarns containing giant amounts of otherwise unspinnable powders. Baughman also has 61 US patents and more than 310 publications with more than 18,100 citations.
“This kind of recognition strengthens our visibility as a top-flight research university and underscores the depth of our impact in the scientific community nationally and internationally,” said Dr. Hobson Wildenthal, executive vice president and provost at UT Dallas. “It’s because of the hard work and talent of so many people at UT Dallas that the research community here thrives. We’re incredibly proud of Dr. Baughman and his team’s continuous efforts in pursuing groundbreaking scientific study.”
Wildenthal also holds the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Chair of Academic Leadership.
Thomson Reuters, a global information provider, compiled the table by comparing scientists who achieved the highest citation-impact scores for papers published since January 2000. Impact is a weighted measure of how influential published papers are according to citations by other researchers.
Dr. Yves Chabal
Dr. Yves Chabal, Texas Instruments Distinguished University Chair in Nanoelectronics and head of the University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, said Baughman’s ranking underscores UT Dallas’ vision and leadership in developing strength in materials science.
“Materials science brings together so many fields, and in each of them, UT Dallas has become a powerhouse with bright minds and powerful technology,” Chabal said. “The Department of Materials Science at UT Dallas, although less than 3 years old, oversees close to 100 graduate students and more than $10 million in annual research expenditures.”
All of this, Chabal added, underscores the vitality and importance of materials science in keeping up with ever-changing advances in technology. Chabal and Baughman said the growing materials science programs at UT Dallas have also contributed to national and international recognition of the University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, founded in 2009 and headed by Dr. Mario Rotea, and the Department of Bioengineering, headed by Dr. Mathukumalli Vidyasagar.