The UO’s plan to bolster its materials science program was the latest focus of The Register-Guard’s series on the Clusters of Excellence faculty hiring initiative.

The story looks at the cluster in chemistry and physics aimed at further advancements in energy and sustainable materials. Led by chemistry and biochemistry professor Jim Hutchison, the Lokey-Harrington Chair in Chemistry, the proposal calls for hiring three new faculty members in chemistry and physics who will be part of the UO’s Center for Sustainable Materials Chemistry and the Materials Science Institute.

Members of the cluster team say the hirings will help cement the UO’s leadership in the areas of green chemistry and nanomaterials characterization. That’s the aim of the cluster initiative, making strategic additions in areas where the UO already is strong and where a targeted investment can push the institution to the next level.

Other members of the energy and sustainable materials team are Shannon Boettcher, Miriam Deutsch, Darren Johnson, Dave Johnson and Richard Taylor.