Joshua Goldberger, PhD, has been named Director of the Center for Emergent Materials, an NSF MRSEC, effective this fall semester. He succeeds Chris Hammel, PhD, who has led the center for the past 12 years.
Goldberger’s academic profile and proposed vision for the center had enthusiastic support from the search committee. His vision also aligned with early discussions with the NSF program directors with funding recompetition on the horizon.
“Dr. Goldberger has contributed greatly to the center’s success during his career at Ohio State. His research and proposed vision for the center had enthusiastic support from the search committee, and I look forward to working with him as we continue this trajectory of success,” said Peter Mohler, interim executive vice president of research, innovation and knowledge.
Goldberger’s materials chemistry lab is focused on designing new materials for next-generation electronics and devices, catalysis, and medical diagnostics and therapeutics. After joining Ohio State in 2010, he was promoted to Associate Professor in 2016, and Professor in 2020. He earned his bachelor’s in chemistry at Ohio State, his doctorate in chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley and conducted research at Northwestern University as an NIH-NRSA postdoctoral fellow. He was elected an AAAS Fellow in 2022. His awards include an MRS Graduate Student Finalist Award, an IUPAC Prize for Young Chemists, a Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award in 2015, a Lumley Interdisciplinary Research Award in 2019, and an ASC Mid-Career Excellence Award in 2020.
The search committee consisted of: Nandini Trivedi (Chair), La’Tonia Stiner-Jones, Jinwoo Hwang, Jyoti Katoch, Joseph Heremans, Yuan-Ming Lu, Mohit Randeria and Michelle Richard.
“I’d also like to recognize Chris Hammel for his leadership of CEM for the past 12 years. While the research stands on its own, he has helped ensure the future of the program through a focus on mentorship, development and diversity,” added Mohler. “Dr. Hammel has also taken great care in ensuring a smooth transition, and I’m thankful for his passion for ensuring Dr. Goldberg is set up for success.”