John Goodenough is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, and holds the Virginia H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering.
Goodenough's research into the relationships between the chemistry, structure and electronic/ionic properties of solids addresses fundamental solid state problems in order to design new materials that can enable an engineering function. For example, his
work on ionic transport in solid electrolytes and on mixed electronic/ionic conductors has enabled realization of the rechargeable lithium-ion battery used in cellular telephones and laptop computers; it also continues to provide alternative materials
for the realization of a medium-temperature solid oxide fuel cell and an oxygen-permeation membrane.
His group grows single-crystal specimens as well as synthesizing new ceramic materials. Chemical and structural characterization of his materials accompanies an array of fundamental measurements in which high pressure as well as temperature and chemical
composition are used as variables. Technical materials are also studied for engineering performance. In addition to developing new materials for energy conversion and storage, Goodenough has been uncovering the physical mechanisms responsible for
unusual physical phenomena such as high temperature superconductivity and the colossal magnetoresistance that occur at the crossover from localized to itinerant electronic behavior.
Goodenough is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the nation's highest honor for engineering professionals. He is a recipient of the 2009 Enrico Fermi Award, laureate of the 2001 Japan Prize, and a foreign member of the Academia de Ciencias
Exactas, Fisicas, y Naturales (Spain) and the Royal Society (United Kingdom).