John McGrath, New CBET Division Director

October 1, 2008

John McGrath to Lead Division of Chemical, Biological, Environmental, and Transport Systems in NSF Directorate for Engineering

John J. McGrath, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Arizona, joins the National Science Foundation (NSF) as director of the Division of Chemical, Biological, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET) in the Directorate for Engineering.  His term at NSF begins today.

McGrath has served as head of aerospace and mechanical engineering at Arizona since 2002.  He came to Arizona from Michigan State University, where he began in 1978 as an assistant professor and rose to become a full professor in the department of mechanical engineering.  He served as acting chairman of that department for one year.

As head of aerospace and mechanical engineering at Arizona, McGrath worked with the faculty to define research focus areas of aerospace, bioengineering, energy, and micro-technologies.  He hired one-third of the current faculty members.

"The Directorate for Engineering is extremely pleased to welcome Dr. McGrath," said NSF Acting Assistant Director for Engineering Michael Reischman.  "His insightful leadership and experience in interdisciplinary research will enable him to make many contributions to the Directorate and the engineering community."

McGrath's research focuses on thermal science and cryobiology, on the response of biomaterials to thermal treatments, and on developing instrumentation.  His work has been interdisciplinary, extending into biomedical engineering and the life sciences.  He has won recognition for distinguished scholarship and teaching, and holds four patents. 

McGrath has served as president of the Society for Cryobiology.  For 20 years, he directed an international engineering exchange program at Michigan State.  He was a Fulbright Scholar and is a fellow of ASME.  He was awarded a B.S. degree cum laude from Stanford University and earned an M.S. and Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, all in mechanical engineering.

CBET supports research and education in the rapidly evolving fields of bioengineering and environmental engineering and in areas that involve the transformation and/or transport of matter and energy by chemical, thermal, or mechanical means.  CBET research and education investments contribute significantly to the knowledge base and to the workforce development for major components of the U.S. economy, including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, forest products, metals, petroleum, food, textiles, utilities, and microelectronics. 

- Cecile J. Gonzalez, NSF, cjgonzal@nsf.gov -

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of $6.06 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 45,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

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