On September 3, 2026, the International Engineering and Technology Institute (IETI) announced the Laureates of the 2nd Krzysztof Matyjaszewski Award for Chemical Sciences and Materials Engineering. Professor Jean-Francois Lutz (University of Strasbourg and CNRS, France) and Professor Jeffrey Pyun (University of Arizona, USA) were recognized for their pioneering contributions to polymer chemistry, materials science, and advanced functional materials.
This award is one of IETI's distinguished honors, focusing on polymer science, materials innovation, nanotechnology, green chemistry, and sustainable materials.
Professor Jean-Francois Lutz
Internationally recognized for pioneering work in sequence-controlled polymers, informational macromolecules, and precision macromolecular engineering. His research transformed synthetic polymers into programmable molecular systems capable of storing, reading, and processing information.
Award Citation: For pioneering contributions to sequence-controlled polymers, informational macromolecules, and precision macromolecular engineering, and for advancing synthetic polymers into programmable molecular information systems.
Professor Jeffrey Pyun
Recognized for pioneering contributions to sustainable polymer chemistry, inverse vulcanization, sulfur-based functional polymers, and advanced optical materials. His discoveries enabled the conversion of sulfur resources into high-value polymeric materials for energy storage, infrared optics, and engineering applications.
Award Citation: For pioneering contributions to inverse vulcanization, sustainable sulfur-based polymeric materials, and advanced functional polymers, and for translating fundamental polymer chemistry into impactful materials for energy, optics, and engineering applications.
About the Award
Named after Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, polymer scientist and J.C. Warner University Professor of Natural Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, whose invention of Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) revolutionized modern polymer synthesis.