Two Esteemed Rice University Professors Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences for Groundbreaking Contributions in Nanotechnology and Industrial-Organizational Psychology
In a landmark recognition of their impactful scientific contributions, Rice University proudly announces the election of professors Karen Lozano and Eduardo Salas to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s most venerable and respected scholarly institutions. This honor highlights not only their individual achievements but also underscores Rice University’s growing reputation as a hub of interdisciplinary excellence, innovation, and societal impact.
Karen Lozano, Trustee Professor and Chair of the Department of Materials Science and Nanoengineering, has carved a niche at the forefront of nanofiber technology. Her pioneering research centers on the scalable design and production of nanofiber-based systems, whose applications are far-reaching—touching key sectors such as filtration, medical devices, energy storage, and advanced composite materials. Lozano’s ingenuity led to the invention of Forcespinning, a patented centrifugal technique that represents a paradigm shift in nanofiber manufacturing by enabling high-throughput production without relying on traditional high-voltage processes like electrospinning. This process not only boosts industrial scalability but also expands the material design space, enabling engineers and scientists to tailor nanofiber structures with unprecedented precision and efficiency.
Lozano’s contributions extend well beyond the laboratory. She holds over forty patents and patent applications and has demonstrated entrepreneurial prowess by co-founding two companies dedicated to bringing her innovations to commercialization. Her work bridges the often disparate worlds of academic research and practical application, making advanced materials accessible and economically viable for industry and societal benefit. Lozano’s dedication to diversity and inclusion is equally commendable; she has tirelessly worked to establish a STEM education pipeline that empowers underrepresented groups to enter and thrive in science and engineering fields. Her visionary leadership demonstrates how scientific advancement and social equity can be pursued hand in hand.
Parallel to this, Eduardo Salas, the Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Chair of Psychological Sciences, has profoundly influenced the science of teamwork and organizational psychology. With a career spanning over four decades, Salas has authored an astounding 650 journal articles and book chapters, in addition to seminal books that have shaped team training protocols and performance assessment tools. His research elucidates how high-performing teams operate under pressure across critical and diverse environments, including healthcare systems, military operations, NASA exploratory missions, aviation safety, and the energy sector.
Salas’ contributions are at the forefront of applied psychology, focusing on the empirical evaluation of team learning, collaboration, and adaptability. His work provides critical frameworks for enhancing team resilience and effectiveness, translating scientific insights into actionable strategies that organizations employ worldwide. Salas’ leadership at Rice includes his tenure as department chair, where he fostered interdisciplinary initiatives that advance social science research grounded in real-world relevance. His accolades include the American Psychological Association’s Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology, exemplifying the breadth and depth of his scholarly and practical impact.
The election of Lozano and Salas to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences not only celebrates individual excellence but also raises the profile of Rice University as a dynamic environment where cutting-edge science and innovative social research coalesce. The Academy, founded in 1780, is a multidisciplinary body that honors leaders whose achievements have redefined academic and societal boundaries—figures such as Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Martin Luther King Jr. The induction ceremony scheduled for October 11th in Cambridge, Massachusetts, affirms their roles among this lineage of visionary thinkers.
Within the realm of nanomaterials, Lozano’s Forcespinning process exemplifies how novel manufacturing techniques can revolutionize material properties at the nano-scale. Unlike traditional electrospinning, which relies on high-voltage electric fields to draw fibers, Forcespinning exploits centrifugal force to eject polymer jets, achieving continuous and uniform nanofiber production. This approach significantly expands throughput, paving the way for scalable industrial use and widespread adoption in diverse applications such as air and water filtration membranes, tissue engineering scaffolds, and next-generation battery separators. Her work is closely aligned with advancing sustainable technologies that demand high-performance, functional nanostructures.
Beyond technical innovation, Lozano’s commitment to translating engineering breakthroughs into societal value is evident through her advocacy for inclusive STEM education. She champions curricular and experiential programs designed to foster leadership and innovation among students from underrepresented demographics, thereby broadening participation in critical scientific fields. Such efforts contribute to cultivating a diverse next generation of innovators, essential for addressing complex global challenges through science and technology.
Salas’ psychological research complements this by focusing on the human factors that underpin effective team-based problem-solving in high-risk and complex environments. His work has elucidated how variables such as communication, shared mental models, and trust influence team dynamics and outcomes. By integrating empirical science with organizational practice, Salas has helped develop standardized team training interventions that improve performance and safety in sectors where errors can be catastrophic. His influence reaches policymakers, organizational leaders, and practitioners seeking evidence-based strategies to enhance workforce execution under stress.
At Rice University, both Lozano and Salas embody the integration of scientific rigor, societal impact, and educational mentorship. Their dual election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences thus symbolizes a convergence of technological innovation and social science scholarship addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Their work not only advances fundamental understanding but also delivers practical tools and knowledge that improve industries, communities, and educational systems.
The broader implications of their recognition extend to the ongoing discourse on fostering multidisciplinary approaches within research universities. As problems such as climate change, public health crises, and technological inequality demand complex, multifaceted solutions, the example set by Lozano and Salas underscores the power of combining materials science, engineering, psychology, and organizational studies to generate holistic advances. Their careers encourage aspiring scholars to cross traditional boundaries and seek impact across scientific and societal domains.
In reflecting on her election, Karen Lozano emphasized the collaborative nature of scientific discovery and the importance of community support. She articulated a vision where innovation and inclusivity are mutually reinforcing forces propelling the engineering and scientific enterprise forward. Meanwhile, Eduardo Salas expressed gratitude for the recognition and reaffirmed his commitment to applied research that translates into improved real-world outcomes, highlighting his dedication to students and colleagues at Rice University.
As Rice continues to foster world-class research and education, the accolades of Lozano and Salas spotlight the university’s role in driving both pioneering science and transformative social research. Their election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences reinforces a legacy of excellence and underscores the enduring value of scholarship that seeks both knowledge and meaningful societal impact.
Subject of Research: Nanofiber manufacturing technology and industrial-organizational psychology focused on team performance and collaboration.
Article Title: Two Rice University Professors Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for Pioneering Work in Nanotechnology and Team Science.
News Publication Date: April 23, 2025.
Web References:
- https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/karen-lozano-phd-nae-fnai
- https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/eduardo-salas
- https://news.rice.edu
- https://twitter.com/riceunews
Image Credits: Photo courtesy of Karen Lozano/Rice University.
Keywords: Scientific community; Basic research; Education research; Patents; Nanofibers; Social sciences; Psychological science; Applied sciences and engineering; Engineering; Materials engineering.