Baker named MRS Fellow for work on thin films and bio minerals

Shefford Baker, associate professor of materials science and engineering, was selected as a 2022 MRS Fellow by the Materials Research Society for his “foundational understanding of the mechanics of metallic thin films and bio minerals that improve reliability of everyday products, and leadership that maximizes MRS’ impact to the community.”

The title of MRS Fellow is highly selective and honors those MRS members who are notable for their distinguished research accomplishments and their outstanding contributions to the advancement of materials research.

Baker’s research group studies the interactions among structure, deformation, and mechanical properties in a wide range of materials, including thin films, bio-inspired materials, oxide glasses, and nanostructured metals and ceramics. His group conducts research using a combination of nanoscale mechanical testing, detailed experimental analysis of structure, and modeling and simulation.

Baker was also recognized for his continuous engagement with MRS. He served as its president in 2009 and also contributed as a symposium organizer, meeting chair, committee chair, and member of the society’s board of directors. He is presently chair of the MRS Publications Committee.

“MRS is renowned for high quality technical content in meetings and publications and for promoting outstanding materials research and materials researchers. It is a very great honor to have my work recognized by such an organization,” Baker said. “It has also been deeply rewarding to work with MRS colleagues over many years to promote the egalitarian and interdisciplinary approaches that are the hallmarks of MRS’s success.”

MRS honored Baker and its new class of fellows earlier this month at its 2022 Spring Meeting in Hawaii.