Young Investigator Award
Dear readers of Polymers,
With greatest pleasure we present the winner of the 2018 Polymers Young Investigator Award: Dr. Lei Fang.
Dr. Fang leads an independent research group as assistant professor at the Texas A&M University (TAMU). The multi-disciplinary research program in the Fang Group focuses on the bottom-up synthesis and processing of novel organic polymer materials—namely, ladder and coplanar polymers, as well as microporous polymer networks—for applications in electronics and energy conversion/storage. The group’s thrust is to gain a profound understanding of the structure-property relationship of these materials at both, the molecular and the macroscopic levels, by employing the toolboxes of synthetic chemistry and device engineering. With this knowledge, they aim to establish a series of synthetically feasible, high performing, processable, organic carbon-based material systems for field effect transistors, light emitting diodes, solar cells, supercapacitors, and batteries, and to be at the forefront in the enhancement of their efficiencies. To date, Dr. Fang has co-authored over 29 articles and has received numerous awards.
Dr. Fang was selected by the evaluation committee of the Young Investigator Award from 19 applicants, of which four of the candidates are working in the United States, 10 in Europe, and five at universities in Asia. The committee members were Katja Loos, Klaus Müllen, Helmut Schlaad, Ulrich Neuhausen, Josef Wünsch, Richard Hoogenboom, Yao Lin, Svetlana Santer, Andreas Greiner, Prof. Dr. Frank Wiesbrock, and Prof. Dr. Alexander Böker. The committee selected Lei Fang as the winner by an anonymous vote after his presentation of recent research results and a subsequent group discussion.
As Sir Fraser Stoddart said in his nomination letter, “He [Lei Fang] has demonstrated that he can, not only compete, but also shine in some of the most competitive institutions in the world when it comes to practicing synthetic, physical, materials, polymer, supramolecular, and nano chemistry at the onset of the 21st century.”
On behalf of the Polymers Editorial office staff and editorial board members, we wish to congratulate Dr. Lei Fang on his excellent performance and wish him all the best for his future career. We believe that he will have a profound influence on the development of chemistry over the next few decades and look forward to reading more of his research.
Prof. Dr. Alexander Böker
Prof. Dr. Frank Wiesbrock
Editors, Polymers
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