Sharon C. Glotzer

Sharon C. Glotzer is the Anthony C. Lembke Department Chair of Chemical Engineering and the John Werner Cahn Distinguished University Professor of Engineering at the University of Michigan. She holds dual professorships in Materials Science & Engineering and Macromolecular Science & Engineering, alongside Physics and Applied Physics. Her research focuses on computational assembly science, predictive materials design of colloids, and soft matter, leveraging entropy-driven self-assembly principles. Glotzer leads a large interdisciplinary group of ~30 researchers, producing over 300 peer-reviewed papers and contributing to federal agency roadmaps in materials research.

• Education: B.S. and Ph.D. in Physics from UCLA and Boston University.
• Leadership: Directed the NIST Center for Theoretical and Computational Materials Science (1993–2001).

Her work introduced 'patchy particles' and the 'shape space diagram,' revolutionizing nanoparticle design and colloidal self-assembly. Notable contributions include entropy-mediated assembly, quasicrystal engineering, and computational tools like HOOMD-blue and freud.

Awards include National Academy memberships, APS Fellowships, and the Aneesur Rahman Prize. Her lab integrates simulation, theory, and AI to design programmable materials, with applications in nanotechnology, photonics, and biomaterials.