3 UGA NMI faculty recognized at 2025 Research Awards
Three faculty members from the University of Georgia, all of whom are affiliated with the UGA New Materials Institute, were recognized during the 2025 Research Awards, held recently.
The Creative Research Medal
Elizabeth Brisbois was awarded the 2025 Creative Research Medal in recognition for her pioneering work on light-based nitric oxide (NO) release technology for medical devices. Brisbois is an associate professor and Distinguished Fellow in the College of Engineering and a faculty member affiliated with the UGA New Materials Institute.
Her research team developed a wearable fiber optic device that uses photoactive NO donor chemistry to deliver controlled antimicrobial NO therapy, which has potential to prevent infections in catheters and wound dressings, which is a major clinical challenge in health care.
The Creative Research Medal has been awarded since 1980 to recognize a distinct and exceptional research project performed by a mid-career faculty member, with extraordinary impact and significance to the field of study.
The Research Communications Award
Jenna Jambeck received the Research Communications Award in recognition for the global impact of her work and as a communicator who specializes in plastic pollution and materials management. Through her ability to distill complex scientific information into a message that can be easily understood by others, she has helped to elevate public understanding and policy action on environmental sustainability globally, with a special focus on plastics and their impact on marine and other environments. Her scientific publications have been cited more than 37,000 times and her research has been extensively covered by major news outlets such as NPR, BBC, The New York Times and National Geographic.
Jambeck is the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering. She founded and leads the Center for Circular Materials Management in the UGA New Materials Institute.
Team Impact Award
Brisbois and Hitesh Handa were also recognized for being members of the Biointerface Translation and Engineering Center (BTEC), an interdisciplinary research initiative between the College of Engineering, the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Veterinary Medicine. The Center is helping to transform biomedical research through innovation in advanced biomaterials for medical devices.
Handa, who directs the BTEC, is an associate professor of pharmaceutical & biomedical sciences and engineering. He was recently named a “Regents’ Entrepreneur” by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.