Dr. Joel M. Schnur, head of NRL's
Center
for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering (CBMSE), is
a
recipient of the 2001 Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious
Executive. Awardees are members of the Senior Executive Service
whose qualifications are evaluated by citizen panels for final
selection by the President. The Meritorious Executive Award
is
recognition for sustained accomplishments.
The award nomination notes Dr.
Schnur's
"pioneering leadership in the development of the
field of
bio/molecular science and technology has led to critical
new
understanding of diverse areas of science and the connections
between them which are important for the development of new DOD
technology in the area of biological warfare defense and advanced
bioelectronic materials."
Dr. Schnur's research interests
focus on
understanding the relationship between the structure
of
molecules, observed macroscopic phenomena, and biological
function. This interest has led him from studies of critical
phenomena, liquid crystals, picosecond spectroscopy, high pressure
and shock-related phenomena to studies of self-assembly of
biologically
derived microstructures, DNA, and cellular
constructs.
Working in these areas, Dr. Schnur
developed an
appreciation of interdisciplinary research and the
value of new
ideas that could arise when the fields of chemistry,
biology,
and physics are simultaneously applied to scientific
problems.
He has encouraged researchers with different areas
of expertise
to combine their skills to lead to new science and
technology
efforts, which the nomination notes, "are greater
than the
sum of the individual parts of the research team."
In 1982, Dr.
Schnur proposed
a new NRL program in Bio/Molecular Science and
Engineering that
has since grown from a small research group of
5 into the established
NRL research division that he now leads.
With 100 employees
from multiple disciplines, CBMSE has an
international reputation
for high quality science and
technology. Its scientists have
published over 800 papers and
100 patents and disclosures since
1984, leading to more than
8000 citations in the scientific literature.
Dr. Schnur has been a strong
and creative scientific and administrative leader, applying the
tools of advanced biology to the complex material problems.
Highlights
of research advances made by CBMSE scientists under
his leadership
include the:
--development
of a process for coating plastic
and silicon with metal at 100-Angstrom
resolution,
--development
of
fiber optic DNA probes for use in Operation Desert Storm,
--observation,
development, and demonstration of liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin
as a potential blood surrogate,
--development
and demonstration of cell based
biosensors,
--development
of a portable biosensor carried on a small unmanned aircraft,
--development
of
a flow immunosensor which has led to commercial licensing
for drug testing and approval by the EPA for groundwater testing,
--development,
field testing, and delivery of the portable biosensor RAPTOR
to the U.S. Marine Corps,
--development
and licensing of liquid crystal
alignment technology,
--development
of a conducting polymer-based
liquid-crystal display,
--development
of a liquid crystal-based
room-temperature pyroelectric sensor
element, and
--discovery and
development of lipid sub micron tubules in bioelectronic composites
for RF attenuation.
In 1989,
Dr. Schnur broke new
ground for the use of Cooperative Research
and Development Agreements
(CRADAs) in the Navy. Recognizing
the commercial applications
of his group's discoveries in
high-resolution patterning for
integrated and microwave
circuitry, he engineered a large-scale
CRADA with the Shipley
Company. This led to the licensing of
NRL's patents on
high-resolution patterning. Total CRADA investments
from
Shipley and the royalties to NRL are well in excess of $1
million.
Dr.
Schnur has worked with many
government agencies in developing
global scientific strategies
for the U.S. In 1994, Dr. Schnur
was invited to be a member of
the National Research Council
panel on biomolecular materials
and is a coauthor of the NRC
report on that subject. He has been
a member of several NSF and
NIH panels for the development of
strategic plans in the
biocentric and nanotechnology areas.
As a result of Dr. Schnur's
leadership
and mentorship, the Center has active collaborations
today with
more than 20 universities, many companies, and
government agencies.
He has given over 200 invited talks, many
of which have led to
the development of new programs, new
collaborations or the recruitment
of new scientists to the
Center. Dr. Schnur has represented
the Navy in both basic and
applied research programs for the
Defense Reliance and the OSD
Technical Area Review and Assessment
(TARA) processes and
DDR&E. Working with his ONR counterparts,
Dr. Schnur helped
formulate a Navy Corporate Strategic Investment
and Operating
Plan in the area of biocentric technology.
Dr. Schnur joined NRL in 1972
as head of the Molecular Optics Section in the Optical Sciences
Division. From 1979 to 1983, he was deputy head of the Division's
Optical Probes Branch. Following that assignment, Dr. Schnur
spent one year as Professeur Associé at the University
of Paris VI. He returned to NRL in 1984 as head of the
Bio/Molecular
Engineering Branch in the Chemistry Division.
Simultaneously,
Dr. Schnur served
as the Director for the Center for
Bio/Molecular Science and
Engineering in the Materials Science
and Component Technology
Directorate. In 1989, the Center was
designated as a division,
where it exists organizationally
today. Dr. Schnur has been the
head of the Division since its
inception.
Dr.
Schnur received an A.B. in
chemistry from Rutgers University,
an M.S. degree in physical
chemistry and Ph.D. in physical
chemistry/physics from Georgetown
University. He served as an
NRC Postdoctoral Fellow at NRL in
1971 and 1972, and as a
National Academy Fellow at the University
de Paris-Sud in
France and Istituto di Fisica in Italy in 1973.
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