Ainissa Ramirez

Ainissa G. Ramirez, Ph.D. is a science evangelist and lecturer of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science at Yale University. Her research focuses on smart materials and nanomaterials. Dr. Ramirez received her training in materials science and engineering from Brown University (Sc.B.) and Stanford University (Ph.D.). She has authored more than 50 technical papers, holds six patents, and has presented her work worldwide.

Before joining the faculty at Yale University, she worked as a staff scientist at Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies in Murray Hill, NJ for 4 years. At Bell Labs, she developed an advanced solder that can bond directly to glass and ceramics, for which MIT awarded her the TR100 awarddesignated for the top 100 young innovators. Currently, this technology is commercialized by Adhera Technologies (www.adheratech.com) to which she serves as its technical advisor. She has also been awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, the NSF CAREER award, and MITs MLK visiting professorship. She sits on the Board of Directors for the Materials Research Society (with 15,000 members) and on NSFs congressionally mandated Committee for Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE).

Dr. Ramirez is also passionate about improving the public understanding of science and is the founder of Yales premier science outreach program, a science show for kids, called Science Saturdays (www.sciencesaturdays.org). She also is the host of a science video series for the general public, called Material Marvels(www.materialmarvels.com). Additionally, she serves as a science advisor to NOVA/ WGBH and recently gave a TED talk on the importance of STEM education.