Mildred Spiewak Dresselhaus

Known as the "Queen of Carbon Science," Dresselhaus was an American physicist, materials scientist, and nanotechnologist whose career centered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she served as an institute professor and professor of both physics and electrical engineering.

Her professional leadership extended well beyond MIT. She served as president of the American Physical Society, chair of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and director of science in the US Department of Energy under President Bill Clinton.

Among the most decorated scientists of her generation, Dresselhaus received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Science, the Enrico Fermi Award, the Kavli Prize, and the Vannevar Bush Award.