{"id":13789,"date":"2016-05-20T07:42:02","date_gmt":"2016-05-20T12:42:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/college.unc.edu\/?p=13789"},"modified":"2024-07-02T16:28:28","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T16:28:28","slug":"that-fearless-spirit-of-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/?p=13789","title":{"rendered":"\u2018That fearless spirit of innovation\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ast-oembed-container \" style=\"height: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u2018That fearless spirit of innovation\u2019\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ND-5yGlOMo4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Joseph DeSimone\u2019s scientific career has revolved around creating utilitarian technology.<\/p>\n<p>With every innovation \u2014 the engineering of a drug-eluding heart stent, the creation of new 3-D printing methods, revolutionizing the development of next-generation vaccines and medicines \u2014 the ability to apply his work to the real world and make an impact on lives has always been the focal point.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor us, it\u2019s all about serving and doing,\u201d said DeSimone, Chancellor\u2019s Eminent Professor of Chemistry in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill\u2019s College of Arts and Sciences. \u201cYou can do a lot of things in a laboratory, but if it doesn\u2019t get outside the lab, it really doesn\u2019t do anyone any good. So we\u2019re very interested in trying to find better and more effective ways for taking what we do in the lab and trying to impact people, improve their lives and increase their livelihood and create jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13790\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13790\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13790\" src=\"\/\/casdev.unc.edu\/collegearchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2016\/05\/012016_desimone_national_medal004-300x192.jpg\" alt=\"oseph DeSimone, Chancellor\u2019s Eminent Professor of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill, was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Barack Obama on May 19. (Photo by Carly Swain\/UNC-Chapel Hill)\" width=\"300\" height=\"192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2016\/05\/012016_desimone_national_medal004-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2016\/05\/012016_desimone_national_medal004-1024x656.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2016\/05\/012016_desimone_national_medal004-768x492.jpg 768w, https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2016\/05\/012016_desimone_national_medal004-1536x984.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2016\/05\/012016_desimone_national_medal004-2048x1312.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13790\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">oseph DeSimone, Chancellor\u2019s Eminent Professor of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill, was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Barack Obama on May 19. (Photo by Carly Swain\/UNC-Chapel Hill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On May 19, DeSimone\u2019s years of innovative and beneficial work in material science was honored by President Barack Obama with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. DeSimone\u2019s citation also recognized his innovation and inclusive leadership in higher education and entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s humbling and exciting,\u201d said DeSimone, who is also William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at NC State University and of Chemistry at Carolina. \u201cIt\u2019s surreal. It certainly adds wind to the sail. I think there\u2019s still so much to do, and this is not a point to look back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The country\u2019s highest award for technology and innovation, the medal was created by statute in 1980 and is administered for the White House by the U.S. Department of Commerce\u2019s Patent and Trademark Office. The award recognizes those who have made lasting contributions to America\u2019s competitiveness and quality of life and helped strengthen the Nation\u2019s technological workforce. A distinguished independent committee representing the private and public sectors submits recommendations to the President.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs president, I\u2019m honored to award each of you for your contributions to our nation,\u201d Obama told the recipients. \u201cAs an American, I\u2019m proud of everything you\u2019ve done to contribute to that fearless spirit of innovation that\u2019s made us who we are and doesn\u2019t just benefit our citizens, but benefit the world. We\u2019re very proud of what you\u2019ve done.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIts not just the winner of the Super Bowl or the NCAA tournament that deserves a celebration. We want the winners of science fairs, we want those who have invented products and life-saving medicines and who are engineering our future to be celebrated as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13791\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13791\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13791 size-medium\" src=\"\/\/casdev.unc.edu\/collegearchive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2016\/05\/012016_desimone_national_medal002-300x250.jpg\" alt=\"Joseph DeSimone (Photo by Brandon Bieltz)\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13791\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joseph DeSimone (Photo by Brandon Bieltz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Among those at the White House for the award ceremony was Carolina Chancellor Carol L. Folt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a scientist whose career has flourished both in the private sector and academia, Joe DeSimone embodies the very best of American ingenuity,\u201d she said. \u201cHis innovations have begun to transform industries as varied as precision medicine, energy storage and advanced manufacturing\u00a0 \u2014 all made possible by his collaborations with faculty, students and industry. We congratulate him on this very fitting award.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>From inventing environmentally safe processes to making everyday materials such as detergents and dry cleaning to creating the world\u2019s most sophisticated 3-D printer using light and oxygen to continuously fuse objects together from liquid materials, it has been through his expertise of polymer science \u2014 his \u201ctoolbox\u201d \u2014 that has helped DeSimone develop and craft the technologies for which he was awarded.<\/p>\n<p>But he is quick note that he didn\u2019t do it on his own. The award, he said, is a \u201chuge testimony\u201d to students in his lab, faculty colleagues and the entrepreneurial culture at Carolina.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCarolina is a distinguished institution and I don\u2019t think this award elevates Carolina, it\u2019s just consistent with Carolina,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it\u2019s just consistent with who we are.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Story and photos by Brandon Bieltz, UNC Office of Communications and Public Affairs<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>UNC chemist Joseph DeSimone\u2019s years of innovative and beneficial work in material science was honored by President Barack Obama with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. 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