Craig Hawker

Craig Hawker is the Heeger Professor of Interdisciplinary Science in Chemistry and a Distinguished Professor in Materials at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). He holds dual appointments in the College of Engineering and the Materials Department. As Director of the Dow Materials Institute and California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), he leads interdisciplinary research initiatives in advanced materials.

He earned a B.Sc. from the University of Queensland and a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on polymer synthesis, nanomaterials, and biomaterials, with applications in electronics, drug delivery, and sustainable materials. Key innovations include degradable polymers for 3D printing and advanced battery electrolytes.

Awarded the Charles G. Overberger Prize and elected to multiple academies (American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Inventors), Hawker bridges academic research with commercialization, contributing to industries like personal care and pharmaceuticals. His work emphasizes scalable synthesis methods and functional material design.

Hawker oversees major facilities like CNSI and Dow Institute, fostering collaborations between academia and industry. Research trends in his articles highlight advancements in polymer architectures, energy materials, and biomedical applications, with a focus on sustainability and recyclability.

His labs develop novel materials through strategies like light-mediated polymerization and machine learning-driven phase prediction. Notable projects include dynamic covalent networks, fluorinated battery components, and hydrogel-based biomedical devices.