Fred Wudl ’64, Ph.D. ’67

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Described as a “phenomenally creative scientist whose name has become synonymous with new materials,” Fred Wudl has made outstanding contributions to the field of chemistry for more than 30 years. He has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Chemists in the World by the Institute for Scientific Information, making contributions to the field at AT&T Bell Laboratories, UC Santa Barbara and most recently as the Dean Willard Chair of Chemistry at UCLA.

A Bruin since his undergraduate days, Wudl went on to become a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University and then returned to his alma mater in 1997 as a professor in the UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He continued groundbreaking work on the synthesis and characterization of new organic materials. His research has yielded creative and significant discoveries, such as the development of self-mending polymers, which are plastic materials that, when cracked, will reform to their original state upon heating. He has also detected the electronic conductivity of the precursor to the first organic metal and superconductor.

Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering Professor Robert Haddon says of Wudl, “He has been highly creative in the areas of molecular and polymer chemistry and much of this creativity is finding expression in important technological applications.” A testament to the strength of his research, Wudl has co-authored more than 350 scientific papers and holds nine U.S. patents.

As the Dean Willard Chair of UCLA Chemistry, Wudl played a vital role in the growth of the department, driving recruitment efforts and endowing two chairs. In light of these efforts, fellow chemistry Professor Harold Martinson applauds Wudl as “an incalculable asset in our current drive to close ranks with the most elite institutions in the country.”

Further influencing the department, Wudl founded and directed the Exotic Materials Institute, which fosters interdisciplinary interaction among groups of synthetic chemists, experimental and theoretical physical scientists and engineers. Currently he is co-director of the Center for Polymers and Organic Solids at UC Santa Barbara.

Wudl’s achievements have been honored by numerous institutions. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and has received a number of major prizes, including the Giulio Natta Medal, the Materials Chemistry Award of the American Chemical Society and the Tolman Medal of the SCALACS. He is currently the U.S. editor of the Journal of Materials Chemistry and an editorial board member of Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science.