Ali Dhinojwala named Austen Endowed Chair in Polymer Science, Engineering

AKRON—The University of Akron has selected a renowned academic as its next W. Gerald Austen Endowed Chair in Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering.

Ali Dhinojwala, a decorated researcher in biomaterials and biomimicry, accepted the post June 21.

"I am very grateful to be selected for this position and want to convey my appreciation to the Knight Foundation for the creation of this endowed chair and this reaffirmation of support for UA's polymer program," Dhinojwala said. "The polymer program at UA continues to be revered the world over, and I will continue to champion it toward continued growth and opportunity."

Dhinojwala is only the second person to be named endowed chair since the title was created in 2016 by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, according to UA.

The position is named in honor of cardiac and thoracic surgeon Dr. W. Gerald Austen, as well as Austen's contributions to the local community.

"Ali is a wonderful fit for this role," said Craig Menzemer, dean of the College of Engineering and Polymer Science. "I believe his body of work and commitment to excellence in his field recognizes the contributions of Dr. W. Gerald Austen and honors his commitment to knowledge and his dedication to Akron's future."

Dhinojwala started at UA in 1997, eventually becoming the H.A. Morton Professor of Polymer Science.

He has served as department chair and interim dean of of the College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering.

During a major transition for the university, he served in key capacities as the College of Polymer Science merged with the College of Engineering, the College of Applied Science and Technology, and the computer science and computer information systems programs.

Dhinojwala helped found the Biomimicry Research Innovation Center, and since 2011, has served as co-principal investigator.

Through the BRIC, he has collaborated with 20 local companies and secured 20 fellowships for graduate students seeking their doctorate.

Currently, Dhinojwala focuses on research around adhesion, friction and wetting, specifically as they relate to geckos and spiders using adhesives for locomotion and prey capture.

Initial research has led to synthetic adhesives using carbon nanotubes.

His research has received funding from Avery Dennison, the U.S. Air Force, Army Research Office and General Electric, among others.

Among many other awards, Dhinojwala received the 2020 3M Award Award for Excellence in Adhesion Science from the Adhesion Society and the 2012 Whitby Award for Outstanding Teaching and Research from ACS Rubber Division.