Professor Scott R. White is the Donald Biggar Willett Professor of Engineering at the University of Illinois. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1985 and a master’s degree from Washington University, St. Louis, in 1987; both in mechanical engineering. In 1990, he received a Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from Penn State.

He came to the Department of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at the University of Illinois as an assistant professor in 1990. Professor White also holds appointments in the Departments of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and Materials Science and Engineering. In 2000, he joined the faculty of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology where he leads the Autonomic Materials Group bringing together students and faculty from a broad cross-section of scientific and engineering disciplines.

An internationally recognized materials engineer, Prof. White has played a leading role in the development of self-healing materials and multifunctional materials systems. His contributions sparked world-wide interest in self-healing and other autonomic functionality from industry, academia, and government. The promise of these materials when realized will enable fundamental and revolutionary advancements across a broad spectrum of industries from aerospace to microelectronics. In addition to his work on self-healing materials, Prof. White made important contributions to three-dimensional microvascular materials systems and their functionality, fabrication, and analysis. Inspired by the circulatory networks found in biological systems, microvascular networks in engineered materials are used to supply nutrients, repair and healing, cooling, sensory feedback, and other functionalities.

In recognition of his creative and fundamental research contributions, Professor White and his team were honored by Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, CA, as a finalist in 2001 for The Tech Award recognizing outstanding contributions in technology. Popular Science has acknowledged his work on self-healing materials as one of the Top Ten Scientific Innovations for 2001. Professor White holds nine patents in the materials field and is a founding partner in two start-up companies seeking to transition university technologies to industry.

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