Three University of Minnesota professors elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences has elected three University of Minnesota professors as members. College of Science and Engineering Dean Andrew Alleyne and Professor Marc Hillmyer, alongside Medical School Regents Professor Bruce Blazar, have been elected in recognition of their significant contributions to engineering, research and academic leadership.
Founded in 1780, the Academy bestows this prestigious honor on those whose work shapes their fields and advances the public good across disciplines including science, engineering, the arts, business and public affairs.
“I am delighted to congratulate Dean Alleyne and Professors Hillmyer and Blazar on their election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences — a recognition that reflects significant contributions to their fields and commitment to collaboration and innovation in ways that deliver real benefits for Minnesota and beyond,” said University of Minnesota Executive Vice President and Provost Gretchen Ritter. “We are proud to count them among our community and to celebrate this well-deserved honor.”
An accomplished researcher, educator and academic leader, Dr. Alleyne has served as dean of the University’s College of Science and Engineering and a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering since January 2022. In this role, he leads one of the nation’s top public engineering colleges, advancing its mission as a global hub for research and education across the physical sciences, engineering, mathematics and computer science.
Alleyne is a nationally recognized expert on modeling and control of dynamic systems with applications in aerospace, automotive systems and buildings. He is responsible for developing tools and methodologies used by government and industry to create more effective and efficient energy systems.
Prior to joining the University of Minnesota, Alleyne spent nearly three decades on the faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he held multiple leadership roles and contributed extensively to research, teaching and institutional advancement.
Alleyne holds a doctorate and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, as well as an undergraduate degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers and American Association for the Advancement of Science. He also serves on the National Academies Committee on International Security and Arms Control as well as the National Academies Air Force Studies Board.
A preeminent physician-scientist and global leader in cellular therapy, Dr. Blazar serves as a Regents Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Blood and Marrow Transplant & Cellular Therapy. As the holder of the Children’s Cancer Research Fund Land Grant Chair in Pediatric Oncology, Blazar oversees a pioneering clinical and research portfolio dedicated to improving outcomes for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for hematological malignancies.
Blazar is a prolific researcher with more than 950 publications, focusing on the complex immunological studies that underpin modern bone marrow transplant. His career has been defined by a sustained commitment to federal research excellence. He serves as the principal investigator for the University’s Clinical and Translational Sciences Award and manages an expansive grant portfolio.
His contributions have been recognized at the highest levels of the national scientific community, including receiving prestigious NIH MERIT Awards from both the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
A distinguished alumnus and longtime pillar of the University of Minnesota community, Blazar first joined the Department of Pediatrics for his pediatric residency training after achieving his medical degree at Albany Medical College. He remained at the University to complete his fellowship training in pediatric hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplantation before joining the faculty in 1985. He is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.
Serving as McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair and Distinguished University Teaching Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Dr. Hillmyer is a leading scientist who uses his expertise in polymer chemistry to develop sustainable and high-performance plastics and other materials. He is best known for his work at the intersection of sustainability and polymer science and has made numerous impactful contributions to the development of new biobased, recyclable and biodegradable plastics, elastomers and thermosets. By partnering with established industries and working with start-up companies, he is turning these laboratory breakthroughs into real-world solutions that promote a circular economy.
Hillmyer holds an undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Florida and a doctorate in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology. After completing a postdoctoral research position in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, he joined the Chemistry faculty at the University of Minnesota in 1997.
He was recently awarded the European Polymer Federation EPF Prize in 2025, the Mark Senior Scholar Award ACS Division of Polymer Chemistry in 2022, the DSM Bright Science Award in Materials Sciences in 2020 and he is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
This year’s election of 250 new academy members continues a tradition of recognizing accomplishments and leadership in academia, the arts, industry, public policy and research. Alleyne, Blazar and Hillmyer will be formally inducted with their cohort on Oct. 11, 2026 in Cambridge, MA.
“We celebrate the achievement of each new member and the collective breadth and depth of their excellence – this is a fitting commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary,” said Academy President Laurie Patton. “The founding of the nation and the Academy are rooted in the inextricable links between a vibrant democracy, the free pursuit of knowledge and the expansion of the public good.”
Read more about the award and see the full list of recipients on the American Academy of Arts and Sciences website.
- Categories:
- Campus Affairs
