Boris I. Yakobson

Karl F. Hasselmann Chair in Engineering

Research Summary

Dr.  Yakobson's research interests are in theory and modeling of structure, kinetics, and properties of materials derived from macroscopic and fundamental molecular interactions. He has done ground-breaking work on the physical properties of nanotubes, in particular their electro-mechanics, and recently with graphene and graphane.

Brief Bio

Dr. Yakobson is the Karl F. Hasselmann Chair in Engineering. Dr. Yakobson holds a joint appointment between the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and the Department of Chemistry. In 2008, Yakobson received a Nano 50 Award from the science magazine, Nanotech Briefs, for his innovation in nanotechnology, and in 2009, the Department of Energy R&D Award. He received his Ph.D. in 1982 from the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dr. Yakobson is an editorial board member of the Journal of Nanoparticle Research and a member of the American Physical Society and the Electrochemical Society.

Karl F. Hasselmann was a pioneer in offshore oil and gas exploration and a philanthropist. Hasselmann was a close friends with Malcolm Lovett Sr., Chairman of the Rice Board of Trustees from 1967-1972.