Dr. Anna Balazs: A 2014-2015 NSF Distinguished Lecturer in Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Annually, the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Mathematical 
and Physical Sciences invites media and members of the public to a series of lectures that will help promote a national discussion of issues that scientists expect to shape their research in the coming years. McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Anna Balazs, PhD, has been chosen to be a Distinguished Lecturer for the NSF on June 22, 2015. Dr. Balazs’ presentation is entitled, “From Pendulums to Heartbeats: Inspirations for Designing Active, Responsive Materials,” and will be held at the NSF in Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Balazs joins renowned speakers from the University of Colorado/NIST, University of California—Los Angeles, New York University, Cornell University, Harvard University, and the University of Wisconsin in the 2014-2015 series of lectures.
Dr. Balazs is a Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and the Robert v. d. Luft Professor, Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor in Pitt’s Department of Chemistry.
Dr. Balazs received a MS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and went on to earn her PhD from the same university. Her postdoctoral research was completed at Brandeis University, MIT, and the University of Massachusetts. She has also held the position of visiting professor at the Scripps Research Institute in Southern California, the University of Texas at Austin, and Oxford University in the United Kingdom.
The research interests of Dr. Balazs center on statistical, mechanical, and computer modeling of complex chemical systems and developing theories for the properties of polymer blends and the behavior of polymers at surfaces and interfaces.
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National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences Media Advisory