Miguel José Yacamán (born August 17, 1946) is a Mexican

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

who has made contributions to the fields of

materials science Materials science is an interdisciplinary field of researching and discovering materials. Materials engineering is an engineering field of finding uses for materials in other fields and industries. The intellectual origins of materials sci ...

nanotechnology Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). At this scale, commonly known as the nanoscale, surface area and quantum mechanical effects become important in describing propertie ...

, and

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

. His research has focused on the correlation of structure and properties in nanomaterials and he has developed electron microscopy methods to study nanoparticles and 2-D materials. The present focuses of his work are to develop the nanoscale equivalent of high entropy alloys and new catalysts to produce cleaner fuels. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics in 1972 from the

National Autonomous University of Mexico The National Autonomous University of Mexico (, UNAM) is a public university, public research university in Mexico. It has several campuses in Mexico City, and many others in various locations across Mexico, as well as a presence in nine countri ...

and did his postdoctoral materials science studies at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

. He was also a Postdoctoral Fellow at the

NASA Ames Research Center The Ames Research Center (ARC), also known as NASA Ames, is a major NASA research center at Moffett Federal Airfield in California's Silicon Valley. It was founded in 1939 as the second National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) laborat ...

in Mountain View, California from 1978 to 1979. Yacamán became the director of the

Institute of Physics The Institute of Physics (IOP) is a UK-based not-for-profit learned society and professional body that works to advance physics education, physics research, research and applied physics, application. It was founded in 1874 and has a worldwide ...

in 1983–1991. He was the Reese Endowed Professor in Engineering at the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

from 2001 to 2008. In 2008, he joined The

University of Texas at San Antonio The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA or UT San Antonio) is a Public university, public research university in San Antonio, Texas, United States. Established in 1969,Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university based in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1899, it was the third and final university established in the Arizona Territory. It is one of the three universities gove ...

Research

Yacamán has done research on the structure and properties of

nanoparticles A nanoparticle or ultrafine particle is a particle of matter 1 to 100 nanometres (nm) in diameter. The term is sometimes used for larger particles, up to 500 nm, or fibers and tubes that are less than 100 nm in only two directions. At ...

including

metals A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. These properties are all associated with having electrons available at the Fermi level, as against no ...

semiconductors A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. Its conductivity can be modified by adding impurities (" doping") to its crystal structure. When two regions with different doping levels ...

, and magnetic materials. He has worked on synthesis and characterization of new materials (mainly nanoparticles), surfaces and interfaces, defects in solids, electron diffraction and imaging theory,

quasicrystals A quasiperiodicity, quasiperiodic crystal, or quasicrystal, is a structure that is Order and disorder (physics), ordered but not Bravais lattice, periodic. A quasicrystalline pattern can continuously fill all available space, but it lacks trans ...

, archaeological materials, catalysis, and physics and chemistry of asphaltenes. Yacamán is the author of 9 books and over 550 technical papers with over 32,000 total citations. His work in nanoparticles opened a new era in electron microscopy of finite size. He has acted as associate editor of journals such as ''Acta and Scripta Metallurgica'', ''Catalysis Letters'', ''Journal of Nanostructured Materials'', ''Microscopy Research'', and ''Techniques and Materials Chemistry''. In June 2005, in collaboration with Jose Luis Elechiguerra (''Fulbright Fellow''), he published a groundbreaking paper on the inhibitory properties of silver nanoparticles against HIV-1. (''Journal of Nanobiotechnology'')

Honors and distinctions

Yacamán has held the

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon Guggenheim, Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon indiv ...

, and was awarded numerous prizes such as the National Prize of Sciences of Mexico and the Prize of the National Academy of Mexico in Exact Sciences. He is a member of the Mexican National Research System (level III), and in May 2003 he was appointed National Researcher of Excellence by CONACyT. On March 9th, 2018, Yacamán was presented with the Edward A. Bouchet Award by the American Physical Society(APS). According to the APS, Yacamán was chosen for the award “for isfar-ranging, high-impact contributions to nanoscale science using electron microscopy, and for his mentorship and promotion of Latinos in physics, ranging from undergraduates to faculty." Yacamán has also made many contributions to Mexican science as Science Director of CONACyT (National Council of Science and Technology) during the nineties establishing many new programs that changed Mexican science. *Doctorate

honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Universidad (Spanish for "university") may refer to: Places * Universidad, San Juan, Puerto Rico * Universidad (Madrid) Football clubs * Universidad SC, a Guatemalan football club that represents the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala ...

(2012) *Distinguished Scientist

SACNAS The Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1973. It is the largest multicultural STEM diversity organization in the United States, with a mission to advance the success ...

(2012) * John Wheatley Award of the American Physical Society (2011) *Doctorate

Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo León (2010) *Investigador Nacional de Excelencia CONACyT (2002) * Robert Franklin Melh Award and Distinguish lecture, The Metals and Materials Society USA (1997) *National Prize of Sciences in Mexico (1992) *Prize in Exact Sciences of the State of Mexico (1987) *National Prize in Exact Sciences of the

Mexican Academy of Sciences The Mexican Academy of Sciences ''(Academia Mexicana de Ciencias)'' is a non-profit organization comprising over 1800 distinguished Mexico, Mexican scientists, attached to various institutions in the country, as well as a number of eminent forei ...

(1982)

References

External links

Complete list of publications of Miguel José YacamánAppointment at UTSA press releaseM. José Yacamán speaks of 'The bactericidal effect of silver nanoparticles'Interview with Dr. Miguel Jose-YacamanAsociación de Empresarios Mexicanos interviewMiguel Jose Yacaman receives John Wheatley Award 2011SACNAS Honors Six Leaders in Science Research, Mentoring, TeachingScopus Award Mexico2011 John Wheatley AwardMiguel José Yacamán recibió el título de Doctor Honoris Causa de la UNC, SpanishPhysics Researcher Miguel Yacaman Receives Honorary Doctorate from Mexican University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yacaman, Miguel Jose 1946 births Living people People from Córdoba, Veracruz Mexican people of Lebanese descent 20th-century Mexican physicists Nanotechnologists Hispanic and Latino American scientists