Lara Estroff reappointed as chair of Materials Science and Engineering

Lara Estroff, the Herbert Fisk Johnson Professor of Industrial Chemistry, has been reappointed to a three-year term as chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, effective July 1, 2023.

“Over the last three years, Lara has led MSE with distinction,” said Lynden Archer, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering. "She is a community-minded, principled leader who has worked tirelessly to advance MSE and the college.”

Prior to joining Cornell Engineering in 2005, Estroff received her undergraduate degree from Swarthmore College, earned her Ph.D. from Yale University, and was an NIH-funded postdoctoral fellow in Professor George M. Whiteside's laboratory at Harvard University. She has received several awards, including an NSF Early Faculty Career Award in 2009 and a J.D. Watson Young Investigator’s award from NYSTAR in 2006.

Highly collaborative and interdisciplinary, Estroff’s research focuses on bio-inspired materials synthesis, crystal growth mechanisms, and the high-resolution characterization of pathological mineralization. She is also an active leader in key college initiatives, including the Ezra’s Bridge program, a transitional M.S. program that addresses challenges faced by students underrepresented in chemical and materials sciences by providing them with scholarships, research opportunities, mentoring, and professional development.

“Lara is a trusted advisor,” Archer said. “I look forward to continuing our work together to strengthen MSE and our Cornell Engineering community."