Emily A. Carter, UCLA’s outgoing executive vice chancellor and provost, has been named by the Materials Research Society the 2021 recipient of the Materials Theory Award “for advances in quantum mechanics theory with broad applications to materials and chemical sciences.” 

The Materials Theory Award, endowed by Toh-Ming Lu and Gwo-Ching Wang, recognizes exceptional advances made by materials theory to the fundamental understanding of the structure and behavior of materials.

Carter accepted the honor at the society’s 2021 fall meeting virtual event on Dec. 7. During this event, she presented her lecture “Quantum-Derived Materials Solutions for a Sustainable Future,” and served as a panelist with fellow award recipients.

Carter, who is also a distinguished professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, develops and applies quantum mechanical simulation techniques to enable discovery and design of molecules and materials for sustainable energy and carbon mitigation technologies.