Rice University professors Pedro Alvarez and Antonios Mikos have been elected fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the oldest learned societies in the nation.
Founded in 1780 “to help a young nation face its challenges through shared purpose, knowledge and ideas,” the academy inducts into its ranks exceptional individuals recognized for their accomplishments in artistic, scholarly or scientific pursuits and leadership in the public, nonprofit and private sectors, according to its website. Alvarez and Mikos are among 250 new members elected in 2024. Of the academy’s 31 areas of recognition, both Alvarez and Mikos were among the members honored under the engineering and technology specialty of the mathematical and physical sciences category.
“Pedro and Antonios are trailblazing leaders who have earned tremendous respect from their peers and collaborators over the course of their long and illustrious careers,” said Amy Dittmar, the Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “I’m pleased to see both of them recognized for their high-impact contributions to their respective fields. Pedro is a standout leader for his scientific excellence in leveraging the power of chemistry to solve difficult environmental problems, particularly the treatment of water. Antonios is a pathbreaking innovator in the creation of biomaterials for orthopedic, dental, cardiovascular, neurologic and ophthalmologic uses.”
“The election of Pedro Alvarez and Antonios Mikos to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences speaks volumes about the profound impact they’ve had on their respective fields,” said Luay Nakhleh, the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering. “Their scholarship and commitment to advancing knowledge exemplify the excellence we strive for in our faculty. Their recognition serves to inspire future generations of innovators and scholars, demonstrating what can be achieved through hard work and dedication.”
Alvarez is the George R. Brown Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice and director of the recently launched Institute for Clean Water Technologies, Entrepreneurship and Research (WaTER), dedicated to advancing research and innovation to shape the future of sustainable water treatment across three key focus areas ⎯ public health, energy transition and resilient infrastructure. Alvarez’s research examines nanotechnology and bioremediation applications to degrade hazardous chemicals during water treatment and reuse; antibiotic resistance propagation countermeasures; phage-based microbiome editing; and the water of the energy transition.
Alvarez currently serves on the board of directors of Houston Endowment Inc., a private foundation dedicated to improving quality of life for residents of greater Houston, and as executive editor of Environmental Science and Technology, a publication of the American Chemical Society. In the past, Alvarez has served on the scientific advisory board of the Environmental Protection Agency and on the advisory committee of the National Science Foundation Engineering Directorate. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the recipient of numerous national and international awards, including the Clarke Prize for outstanding research in water science and technology; the American Academy of Environmental Engineers & Scientists Grand Prize for Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science; the Water Environment Federation McKee Medal; the ASCE Freese Award; and various best paper awards with his students.
“I am humbled by this great honor, considering the great minds that have preceded me,” Alvarez said. “I feel like Cedalion standing on the shoulders of giants, highly motivated to continue to strive for affordable clean water to protect public health and enhance prosperity for all.”
Mikos is Rice’s Louis Calder Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, professor of chemistry and materials science and nanoengineering and director of the Biomaterials Lab, dedicated to improving patient health and overcoming medical challenges through the development and support of biomaterials research, education and entrepreneurship. His research focuses on the synthesis, processing and evaluation of innovative biomaterials serving as scaffolds for tissue engineering, drug delivery carriers, non-viral gene therapy vectors and platforms for disease modeling. Mikos’ work has enabled the development of biomaterials used in a variety of clinical applications.
“This is a tremendous honor, and I am most thankful to my students and colleagues for their collaboration and inspiration, and to Rice for all the support over the years,” Mikos said. “I look forward to working together with other members of the academy to address some of the biggest societal problems.”
Mikos is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Inventors, the Academia Europaea, the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the Academy of Athens. He has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Jensen Tissue Engineering Award of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society-Global, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society-Americas, the Society for Biomaterials’ Founders Award, the Controlled Release Society’s Founders Award and the Biomedical Engineering Society’s Robert A. Pritzker Distinguished Lecturer Award. Mikos is founding editor and editor-in-chief of the Tissue Engineering journals and organizer of the continuing education course Advances in Tissue Engineering offered annually at Rice since 1993.