Craig Jon Hawker (born 11 January 1964) is an Australian-born chemist. His research has focused on the interface between organic and polymer chemistry, with emphasis on the design, synthesis, and application of well-defined macromolecular structures in biotechnology, microelectronics, and surface science. Hawker holds more than 45 U.S. patents,[1] and he has co-authored over 300 papers in the areas of nanotechnology, materials science, and chemistry. He was listed as one of the top 100 most cited chemists worldwide over the decade 1992–2002,[2] and again in 2000–2010.[3]

Craig Hawker
Born (1964-01-11) 11 January 1964 (age 60)
Queensland, Australia
CitizenshipAustralian and american
Occupation
  • University teacher Edit this on Wikidata
Awards
Academic career
FieldsPolymer science Edit this on Wikidata
InstitutionsMaterials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara

In 2021, Hawker was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering for contributions to polymer chemistry through synthetic organic chemistry concepts and the advancement of molecular engineering principles. He is the director of the California Nanosystems Institute and holds a number of other laboratory directorships at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

He was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2022.[4]

Education

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Hawker was born in Australia and attended high school in Queensland. It was in high school that he developed his interest in chemistry because, as he put it, "it really allowed me to develop things with my hands. Chemistry is a very hands-on science."[5] He studied at the University of Queensland and graduated with a Chemistry degree.[6] He worked with Professor Alan R. Battersby at Cambridge University on his post-graduate studies achieving his PhD in bio-organic chemistry.[7] Hawker then moved to the United States to pursue post-graduate work at Cornell University in 1988.[8]

Research history

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The California NanoSystems Institute building with mural at the University of California, Santa Barbara

In 1990, Hawker returned to Queensland as a Queen Elizabeth II Research fellow at the University of Queensland.[9] From 2004, he was a research staff member at the IBM Almaden Research Center in California.[10] Hawker is the director of the California NanoSystems Institute, co-director of the Materials Research Laboratory, and the Alan and Ruth Heeger Professor of Interdisciplinary Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara.[11]

Influence and research focus

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In 2012, Hawker won the Centenary Prize from the Royal Society for developing strategies for the design of new polymers, which has had a major influence in the area and on those studying polymers.[12] In 2013, Hawker and another colleague invented Olaplex, a successful commercial product designed to relink hair bonds and to help reduce hair breakage.[13] In 2018, Olaplex won a patent infringement action against L'Oréal.[14] In 2015, Hawker was named as an American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow for "revolutionising materials research through the development of powerful synthetic methods and strategies for molecularly engineering functional macromolecules, inspiring scientists across multiple disciplines."[15] He also serves or has served as editor for journals, such as the Journal of Polymer Science,[16] and is on the editorial board for a number of journals of chemistry, including the International Journal of Polymeric Materials,[17] and the Journal of Polymer Science Part A.[18]

In 2017, Hawker was described as "one of the top materials scientists in the world, "[19] In 2018, he and his colleagues developed a "3D-printing technique that can produce objects with both rigid and flexible properties will allow scientists to make bioinspired structures in just a single stage."[20] This could lead to the development of structures with "mechanically and chemically distinct properties". Hawker is researching nanostructured materials in areas associated with microelectronics and biotechnology.[21]

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Patents by Inventor Craig J. Hawker". Justia Patents. Justia. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  2. ^ "Hirsch index ranks top chemists". Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  3. ^ "TOP 100 CHEMISTS, 2000-2010". Clarivate Analytics. Archived from the original on 29 December 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  4. ^ "2022 NAS Election". Archived from the original on 10 May 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  5. ^ Ober, Christopher (7 February 2011). "Interview with Craig Hawker (YouTube)". University of California, Santa Barbara. Materials Research Laboratory.
  6. ^ "Craig J. Hawker: Biography". Hawker Group. University of California, Santa Barbara. Archived from the original on 21 February 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  7. ^ "Executive Profile: Craig J. Hawker". Company Overview of Tricida. Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  8. ^ "Craig Hawker". Center for Nanotechnology in Society. University of California Center for Nanotechnology in Society. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  9. ^ "Craig J. Hawker". ACS: Chemistry for Life. Australian Chemical Society. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  10. ^ "Professor Craig Hawker Director, California Nanosystems Institute University of California, Santa Barbara". ARC Centre of Excellence Convergent and Bio-Nano Science and Technology. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  11. ^ "Craig Hawker". UC Santa Barbara: Chemistry and Biology. University of California, Santa Barbara. Archived from the original on 21 February 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  12. ^ "UC Santa Barbara's Craig Hawker wins Centenary Prize for Chemistry". EurekaAlert!. AAAS. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  13. ^ Nhung, Nguyen (April 2015). "Olaplex: The Science Behind the Strand". Arches. Archived from the original on 30 January 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  14. ^ Hopewel, Bethan; Fred, Wu. "Olaplex v L'Oréal". Intellectual Property Magazine. Maritime Intelligence. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  15. ^ Sonia, Frenandez (30 November 2015). "Materials Professor at UCSB Craig Hawker Named AAAS Fellow". Noozhawk. Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  16. ^ "Craig Hawker". Center for Nanotechnology in Society. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  17. ^ "Editorial Board EOV". International Journal of Polymeric Materials and Polymeric Biomaterials. 63 (18). Taylor & Francis Online: ebi. 2014. doi:10.1080/00914037.2015.943833. S2CID 216559276.
  18. ^ "Journal of Polymer Science Editor Craig Hawker Elected to Royal Society". Wiley. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  19. ^ Adela, Talbot (26 October 2017). "Governor General taps trio for top PhD honours". Western News. Western University. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  20. ^ "Lighting the way to versatile 3D printing". Nature. 559 (7713): 155. 2018. Bibcode:2018Natur.559S.155.. doi:10.1038/d41586-018-05629-5. PMID 29991780. S2CID 51612869.
  21. ^ "Professor Craig J. Hawker". Bordeaux Polymer Conference – May 28–31, 2018. Bordeaux Polymer Conference. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  22. ^ "TU/e Honorary Doctorate for polymer genius with a commercial spirit".
  23. ^ "UCSB polymer chemist receives Overberger International Prize for creating innovative materials". News Medical Life Science. AZoNetwork. 2 June 2017. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  24. ^ "Awards". Belgian Polymner Group. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  25. ^ "Fellows List". National Academy of Inventors. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  26. ^ "Elected Fellows". AAAS. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  27. ^ "Centenary Prize Previous Winners". Royal Society of Chemistry. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  28. ^ "Royal Society: New Fellows". 20 May 2010. Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
  29. ^ "Top 100 Chemists, 2000–2010". Clarivate Analytics. Archived from the original on 29 December 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  30. ^ "PMSE Fellows". Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  31. ^ "Interview: Craig Hawker". Chemistry in Australia. 76 (1): 13–14. 1 February 2009.