Monica Olvera de la Cruz

Monica Olvera de la Cruz is the Lawyer Taylor Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University, holding courtesy appointments in Chemical and Biological Engineering and Physics. She earned her B.A. in Physics from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in 1981 and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Cambridge in 1985. After serving as a guest scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology from 1985 to 1986, she joined Northwestern University in 1986. She directed the Materials Research Center from 2006 to 2013 and currently serves as Director of the Center for Computation and Theory of Soft Materials and Deputy Director of the Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science. Additionally, she was a Staff Scientist at the Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique in Saclay, France, from 1995 to 1997, with visiting positions in 1993 and 2003.

Her research in Physics and soft matter physics focuses on developing theoretical models for the conformation, organization, and dynamics of macromolecules in complex environments, such as multicomponent solutions of heterogeneous synthetic and biological molecules and molecular electrolytes. She investigates self-assembly processes leading to functional nanostructures like fibers, gels, membranes, and crystals from amphiphiles, copolymers, and polyelectrolytes, and studies interfaces in complex fluids with applications to biology and biomimetics. Olvera de la Cruz has garnered major awards including election to the National Academy of Sciences (2012), American Philosophical Society (2020), American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2010), the American Physical Society Polymer Physics Prize (2017), Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship (1990-1992), and David and Lucile Packard Fellowship (1989-1994). Notable publications include “A self-assembly pathway to aligned monodomain gels” (Nature Materials, 2010), “DNA-mediated nanoparticle crystallization into Wulff polyhedra” (Nature, 2014), and “Energy landscapes and functions of supramolecular systems” (Nature Materials, 2016). Her contributions have profoundly influenced soft matter physics, pioneering insights into gel electrophoresis, biomimetic materials, and nanoscale self-assembly. She has held significant roles such as Senior Editor of ACS Central Science (2015-2022), member of DOE’s Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (2012-2022), and various NAS and NSF committees, and delivered prestigious lectures like the G.N. Lewis Memorial Lecture (2024).

Professional Email: m-olvera@northwestern.edu