About MRS

• History
• MRS Mission, Vision and Values
• Contact Us
• Governance
• Elections
  • 2011 MRS Elections
    • Orlando Auciello (Argonne National Laboratory)
    • Lynn A. Boatner (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)
    • Shenda M. Baker (Synedgen, Inc. and Harvey Mudd College)
    • Li-Chyong Chen (National Taiwan University)
    • Chang-Beom Eom (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
    • Eric Garfunkel (Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey)
    • Young-Chang Joo (Seoul National University)
    • Kalpana S. Katti (North Dakota State University (NDSU))
    • David P. Norton (University of Florida)
    • Francesco Priolo (University of Catania, Italy)
    • Ainissa G. Ramirez (Yale University)
    • Stephen K. Streiffer (Argonne National Laboratory)
• Annual Reports

Eric Garfunkel (Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey)

Eric Garfunkel is a Professor of Chemistry at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. He received a bachelor’s degree from Haverford College in 1978 and a doctoral degree in Chemistry from U.C. Berkeley in 1983. In 1983-84 he worked at the University of Paris-Sud, Orsay, and at Fudan University in Shanghai. Since September 1984, he has been a faculty member at Rutgers University in Chemistry (with a joint appointment in Physics). He has held visiting positions at Stanford University and the University of Paris, as well as short term positions in Germany, China, and Italy. At Rutgers, he played a leading role in forming and leading the Laboratory for Surface Modification (LSM) and the Institute for Advanced Materials, Devices and Nanotechnology (IAMDN). He recently served a term as chair of the Chemistry Department (2008-2011.)

Within MRS, Eric served as one of the 2002 Fall Meeting Chairs, in addition to participating in a range of other MRS activities and committees. He has taken a leadership role in some of the Society’s international activities. In 2008 he was co-chair of the first International Materials Research Conference. The meeting, held in Chongqing, China and jointly organized by MRS and the Chinese MRS, attracted over 1,000 participants. Eric also played a leading role in organizing and chairing a range of other topical meetings in China, Russia, India, South America and most recently in Africa. He currently chairs the International Advisory Committee for the 6th International Conference of the Africa Materials Research Society, to be held in Victoria Falls in December of 2011. He also currently serves on the MRS Partnership Assessment Task Force, which will advise the Board on how best to develop future partnerships, and he chairs the Africa Subcommittee of the MRS International Relations Committee.

Eric’s research has involved fundamental studies of surface, ultrathin film, interface and nanostructure systems of relevance to advanced technology. Past studies have included research on atomic and molecular adsorption and reaction, thin film growth, and promoter effects in catalysis. Over the past 15 years his work has involved basic and applied research into new inorganic and organic materials for nanoelectronics, including the CMOS gate stack. Current interests also include alternative energy materials (for photovoltaics, catalysis, and energy storage), nanowires, MEMS, bio-materials interfaces, sensors, and nanotoxicity. His group uses ion scattering, electron spectroscopy, scanning probe and electron microscopies, and other surface and nanoscience methods. He collaborates with an interdisciplinary range of research teams within and outside Rutgers.

Candidate’s statement  

“I have participated in Materials Research Society meetings for two decades, usually as a speaker, but also in a leadership role. For well over a decade I have viewed MRS as my home society. My scientific interests (fundamental atomic-scale surface and interface science focused on a range of technologically important problems) fit well within the broad interdisciplinary materials science and technology scope that MRS encompasses. The MRS Bulletin is now required reading for my first year graduate students. I appreciate the way the MRS is structured, what it represents, and what it brings to life.

I have long been interested in the role that science and technology play in international development. I have worked abroad in Europe and Asia as a visiting scientist, and have also helped coordinate international meetings and scientific exchanges. Currently I am working very closely with Africa Materials Research Society President Joe Zimba organizing the 6th International Africa-MRS Conference. I also help lead a program at Rutgers University that involves exchanges between US and African students and scholars.

I would like to continue to work closely with MRS, focusing especially on its mission to better serve the worldwide materials community. There are many thorny issues associated with this expansion of focus, some of which involve cultural sensitivities. Questions of mission, values, staffing, volunteerism, funding, transparency, topical relevance, and governance will likely remain central to our continuing attempts to partner and to serve the broadest possible community. Unfortunately, there are no simple answers. I think that my experience in international activities “on the ground” for over three decades has been and will continue to be helpful as MRS moves beyond its historical boundaries. I would very much like to see MRS continue to expand not only with meetings, but also in terms of educational activities, communications, and electronic media, both locally and globally.”