Since its inception in 2012, the Journal of Polymer Science Innovation Award recognizes polymer scientists under the age of 40 and celebrates their significant research innovations and achievements in the field. Winners are recognized at a symposium in association with PMSE at the ACS Fall meeting. The editors of the Journal of Polymer Science and the Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE) Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) are delighted to present the 2025 Journal of Polymer Science Innovation Award to Professor Grace Gu.
PROFESSOR GRACE GU
University of California Berkeley
Dr. Grace X. Gu is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. She received her BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Professor Markus Buehler. The research interests of the Gu Group focus on creating new materials with superior properties for mechanical, biological, and aerospace applications using multiphysics modeling and machine learning, as well as developing intelligent polymer additive manufacturing processes to realize complex material designs. Currently, her group is working on in-situ monitoring and process optimization for additive manufacturing of sustainable materials such as biopolymers, recycled materials, and calcium carbonate-based composites, aiming to enhance their quality and reliability. Gu is the recipient of several awards, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, PMSE ACS Young Investigator Award, Sloan Research Fellowship, ARO Early Career Program Award, DARPA Young Faculty Award, LLNL Early Career UC Faculty Initiative Award, ONR Young Investigator Award, and 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award.
She has given dozens of invited lectures and seminars, including TEDxBerkeley. Gu has co-organized symposiums at various conferences and serves on the editorial/advisory boards of several journals. She organizes an annual 3D printing workshop at Berkeley aimed at inspiring the next generation of students to pursue careers in science and engineering.
Since its launch in 1946 by P. M. Doty, H. Mark, and C.C. Price, the Journal of Polymer Science has served the community as a forum for fundamental research on synthesis, chemistry, physics, and engineering of polymers. It ever evolved into a few sister journals to pace the development rhythm of polymer science.
From January 2020, the Journal of Polymer Science, Part A: Polymer Chemistry and Journal of Polymer Science, Part B: Polymer Physics are published as the single original title, the Journal of Polymer Science. It aims to provide a unified, inclusive, and dynamic forum for this rapidly developing multidisciplinary area. With a continuous value deemed to the chemistry, physics and engineering of polymers, it will extend its coverage to all aspects of polymer studies. Please see the JPS site for their history of the award.