The National Science Foundation (NSF) is pleased to announce the selection of Harvard University?s Robert Wood, an Associate Professor of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, to receive its 2012 Alan T. Waterman Award. Dr. Wood is a core faculty member of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.
The Waterman Award is the National Science Foundation's (NSF) highest honor. The annual award recognizes outstanding researchers under the age of 35 in any field of science or engineering that NSF supports. This is the first year that two awardees have been selected.
In addition to a medal, each of this year's awardees will receive a $1 million grant---twice the amount of last year's award---over a five-year period for further advanced study in his field.
Professor Wood, is founder of the Harvard Microrobotics Lab, which leverages expertise in microfabrication for the development of biologically-inspired robots with feature sizes on the micrometer to centimeter scale. His team?s project to develop robotic flying insects received an NSF Expeditions in Computing Award in 2009. His other awards include being named to MIT?s TR35?MIT Technology Review magazine?s annual list of the world?s top 35 innovators under the age of 35, and the 2010 NSF Presidential Early Career Award For Scientists and Engineers. His research is an intriguing example of the interplay of biology and engineering.
