AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate Chief Scientist honored with prestigious fellowship Published Feb. 29, 2016 By Holly Jordan AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Dr. Timothy Bunning, Chief Scientist of the Air Force Research Laboratory Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, has been named a 2016 Fellow of the Materials Research Society, a community of professionals that promotes the sharing and advancement of ideas to improve the quality of life and the state of materials research worldwide. As Chief Scientist, Dr. Bunning defines a strategic direction for the organization's research activities. He also acts as a bridge between AFRL and academia, industry, and entities within the Department of Defense to coordinate efforts and integrate materials research at all levels of technical and manufacturing readiness. A highly-respected scientist with a focus on optical materials, Bunning receives this honor "for the discovery and development of responsive soft matter electro-optical and photosensitive molecular architectures based on polymer and/or liquid crystalline materials." "I am truly humbled, as I have been incredibly blessed to have top-notch people surrounding me day-to-day," said Bunning. "Being named a Fellow is a testament to the passion and creativity of all those I have worked with through the years. Research in today's environment is truly a team sport and recognition of any one individual on the team is really a nod to the team itself." The Materials Research Society, comprising over 16,000 members from the United States as well as nearly 80 other countries, brings together professionals from various fields of science affecting materials. It awards fellowships to only 0.2 percent of its total membership annually, making it a highly-competitive honor. The full listing of 2016 Materials Research Society Fellows can be found at http://www.mrs.org/current-mrs-fellows/.