8/12/2026 Jackson Brunner
Donald W. Hamer Professor Pascal Bellon has been named the interim director of the Materials Research Laboratory, effective Aug. 16, 2026. He will replace Professor Paul Braun, who is set to become department head of materials science and engineering, in this role.
Written by Jackson Brunner
Donald W. Hamer Professor Pascal Bellon will serve as interim director of the Materials Research Laboratory as The Grainger College of Engineering seeks a full-time replacement for the position.
Bellon will take the place of Professor Paul Braun, who becomes department head of materials science and engineering at Illinois on Aug. 16, 2026.
In a letter from Illinois Grainger Engineering Dean Rashid Bashir, the college noted Bellon's history of important leadership and service roles. He served on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Campus Research Board from 2016 to 2019, then took on the role of interim department head of materials science and engineering in the 2019 academic year.
Further past contributions from Bellon include the co-organization of several symposia and time served as director of the scientific committee of EMIR, which is an international multi-bean irradiation platform combining six facilities in France.
"Pascal has strong research collaborations across campus and hods affiliate status with MRL," Bashir noted. "He has been a dedicated citizen of both MatSE and MRL, contributing meaningfully to the success and vitality of both communities. I am confident that he will provide steady leadership and continuity for MRL during this transition and as we work to complete the internal selection process as efficiently as possible."
More to come.
Illinois Grainger Engineering Affiliations
Rashid Bashir is an Illinois Grainger Engineering professor of bioengineering in the Department of Bioengineering. He serves as dean of The Grainger College of Engineering and holds the Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering appointment.
Pascal Bellon is an Illinois Grainger Engineering professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He is affiliated with the Materials Research Laboratory and holds the Donald W. Hamer Professor appointment.
Paul Braun is an Illinois Grainger Engineering professor of materials science and engineering in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He is affiliated with the Department of Chemistry, the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. He is director of the Materials Research Laboratory and holds a Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering appointment.