Nanostructures researcher Hipps elected as AVS fellow

By Will Ferguson, College of Arts & Sciences

Hipps-2015PULLMAN, Wash. – Kerry Hipps, Washington State University chair and distinguished professor of chemistry, has been elected one of 10 new fellows of the American Vacuum Society (AVS). He joins Thomas Dickinson, Regents professor of physics, as the second AVS fellow at WSU.

The AVS is an international community of scientists, engineers and instrument manufacturers that promotes research and communicates knowledge about surface, interface, vacuum and thin film science and technology. Fellowships are awarded to members who have made sustained and outstanding scientific contributions to the society and to the advancement of mankind.

Using cutting-edge microscopy and spectroscopy instruments, Hipps is exploring the chemical composition and reactivity of new kinds of nanostructures that have potential for application in solar cells, light emitting diodes and chemical sensors.

“He is a worldwide leader in nanotechnology,” said Daryll DeWald, dean of the WSU College of Arts and Sciences. “We are very proud of his work examining matter and its material properties at the molecular level.”

Hipps is a distinguished professor in the WSU materials science and engineering program and a fellow of the American Chemical Society, the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.