Nancy Sottos, head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering and Maybelle Leland Swanlund Endowed Chair at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Stephen P. Timoshenko Medal.
Why it matters: The Timoshenko Medal is the highest honor bestowed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Applied Mechanics Division, recognizing distinguished contributions to the field since 1957. It's named for Stephen P. Timoshenko, a foundational figure in applied mechanics, and honors his legacy as both author and teacher.
The details:
- Sottos is being recognized for pioneering experimental techniques in applied mechanics and for developing sustainable polymer processing methods that have improved materials reliability.
- Her work has enabled transformative applications across energy, aerospace and multidisciplinary structural systems.
- The award includes a medal, a certificate and an honorarium.
What's next: Sottos will be honored at the AMD Honors and Awards Banquet during the 2026 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE), held November 8–12 at the Vancouver Convention Centre in British Columbia, Canada.
The big picture: The recognition underscores the Illinois materials department’s continued leadership in materials innovation, adding another top honor to a department already home to some of the field's most influential researchers.
Illinois Grainger Engineering Affiliations
Nancy Sottos is an Illinois Grainger Engineering professor of materials science and engineering and serves as department head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. She also serves as a Center for Advanced Study professor and holds a Swanlund Endowed Chair appointment.