Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau

New Beckman Institute director named

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. Pierre Wiltzius, the director of semiconductor physics research at Lucent Technologies Bell Labs, has been named director of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, pending approval of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees at its meeting Sept. 12-13 in Chicago.

Wiltzius was selected following a national search for a director to succeed Jiri Jonas, a chemist, who is retiring. Jonas was named institute director in 1993.

Wiltzius is known for his research in colloidal self-assembly and photonic crystals. He is expected to assume his new post Sept. 21.

“Pierre is a proven scientist and a skilled leader whose passion for excellence is a good match for the Beckman Institute,” Provost Richard Herman said.

The Beckman Institute is one of the largest interdisciplinary research institutes among U.S. universities. It is home to more than 600 researchers in engineering and in the physical, behavioral and life sciences engaged in more than 15 different programs. Its primary mission is to encourage research in an environment that overcomes many of the limitations inherent in traditional departmental structures.

Born in Luxembourg, Wiltzius earned his doctorate in physics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, in 1981. He was a research fellow at the University of California at Santa Barbara before joining Lucent Technologies in 1984.

Wiltzius’ current research focuses on three-dimensional photonic band gap materials, polymers for optical applications, and the self-assembly of colloids into large single crystals. He has also explored molecular and nanoscale electronics, quantum cascade lasers, and helped develop a prototype of electronic paper.

He is a member of the American Chemical Society and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, among other professional affiliations. He is also a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The Beckman Institute was established in 1985 with a $40 million gift of Arnold O. Beckman, a scientist, inventor and industrialist, and his wife, Mabel. The state of Illinois provided additional funds for the institute. Support for the research programs is provided mainly by funds from the federal government and from corporations and foundations.

Read Next

Announcements Marcelo Garcia, professor of civil and environmental engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering.

Illinois faculty member elected to National Academy of Engineering

Champaign, Ill. — Marcelo Garcia, a professor of civil and environmental engineering in The Grainger College of Engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

Social sciences Male and female student embracing on the quad with flowering redbud tree and the ACES library in the background. Photo by Michelle Hassel

Dating is not broken, but the trajectories of relationships have changed

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — According to some popular culture writers and online posts by discouraged singles lamenting their inability to find romantic partners, dating is “broken,” fractured by the social isolation created by technology, pandemic lockdowns and potential partners’ unrealistic expectations. Yet two studies of college students conducted a decade apart found that their ideas about […]

Engineering Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Nishant Garg, center, is joined by fellow researchers, from left: Yujia Min, Hossein Kabir, Nishant Garg, center, Chirayu Kothari and M. Farjad Iqbal, front right. In front are examples of clay samples dissolved at different concentrations in a NaOH solution. The team invented a new test that can predict the performance of cementitious materials in mere 5 minutes. This is in contrast to the standard ASTM tests, which take up to 28 days. This new advance enables real-time quality control at production plants of emerging, sustainable materials. Photo taken at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (Photo by Fred Zwicky / University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Researchers develop a five-minute quality test for sustainable cement industry materials

A new test developed at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign can predict the performance of a new type of cementitious construction material in five minutes — a significant improvement over the current industry standard method, which takes seven or more days to complete. This development is poised to advance the use of next-generation resources called supplementary cementitious materials — or SCMs — by speeding up the quality-check process before leaving the production floor.

Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau

507 E. Green St
MC-426
Champaign, IL 61820

Email: stratcom@illinois.edu

Phone (217) 333-5010