ASU’s Newman earns honors from leading science group
<p>ASU scientist Nathan Newman has been elected to a distinguished position in one of the leading professional scientific organizations in the nation.</p><separator></separator><p>Newman, a professor and associate director of research in the School of Materials and director of the Center for Solid State Science, is among the exclusive one-half of one percent of the 45,000-plus members of the American Physical Society selected to join the organization's fellowship.</p><separator></separator><p>He will be formally recognized as a fellowship member at the society's national meeting in March.</p><separator></separator><p>The School of Materials is jointly administered by the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.</p><separator></separator><p>Newman was honored for “contributions to the understanding of Schottky barriers in semiconductor devices, and to the synthesis of novel materials for superconducting devices.”</p><separator></separator><p>“It's a great honor to be recognized by my peers, and it's inspiring that my work in two entirely different fields is so highly regarded,” Newman says.</p><separator></separator><p>“The American Physical Society is a very prestigious organization,” adds Subhash Mahajan, director of the School of Materials. “To be elected to its fellowship is a singular honor for an individual and an institution. Such awards bring visibility to the School of Materials and ASU. Nate's studies have significant ramifications in science and technology. I am glad I was able to recruit him from Northwestern University.”</p><separator></separator><p>Newman's research has focused on the synthesis, characterization and modeling of advanced materials for ultra-high-performance electronics.</p><separator></separator><p>His work has been aimed at developing a fundamental understanding of electrical conduction in solids. His most recognized research in semiconductors gave important insight into the mechanism responsible for rectification in junctions of a semiconductor and a dissimilar material, such as a metal.</p><separator></separator><p>Such devices are used in a number of applications, including the conversion of alternating electrical power in wall outlets to direct power for electronics, such as personal computers.</p>