Professor Paula T. Hammond has made history as the first-ever female Dean of Engineering at MIT, set to assume office on January 16, 2026, following a distinguished career in chemical engineering, nanomaterials research, and academic leadership.
Professor Paula T. Hammond has made history as the first woman appointed as Dean of the School of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She will officially assume her new role on January 16, 2026, marking a historic milestone at one of the world’s most prestigious engineering institutions.
Hammond, an Institute Professor and Executive Vice Provost, has a remarkable record of accomplishment in scholarship, teaching, and service. She previously served as Head of MIT’s Department of Chemical Engineering from 2015 to 2023 and as Vice Provost for Faculty, where she led initiatives focused on faculty recruitment, mentoring, retention, and professional development.
Growing up in Detroit, Hammond was surrounded by science and education. Her father was a PhD biochemist, and her mother founded a nursing school. Inspired by her parents, she pursued science early, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from MIT in 1984.
Hammond is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking research in polymers and nanomaterials, with applications in drug delivery, regenerative medicine, cancer treatment, imaging, and energy storage. She pioneered a layer-by-layer assembly technique used to develop ultrathin batteries, fuel cell electrodes, and cancer-targeted drug delivery nanoparticles.
Her work has earned her numerous prestigious awards, including the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (2024), Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry (2024), MIT Killian Award (2023–24), ACS Award in Polymer Science, and AIChE Charles M. A. Stine Award. She is also among the rare scientists elected to all three U.S. National Academies: Engineering, Sciences, and Medicine.
As dean, Hammond plans to strengthen collaboration, interdisciplinary teaching, and innovation. Her vision includes expanding cross-disciplinary courses, incorporating artificial intelligence into engineering education, and creating more hands-on learning opportunities for students.
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SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, SCHOLARSHIP REGION
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