Sottos is the Donald B. Willet Professor of Engineering in the department of materials science and engineering and leads the Autonomous Materials Systems group in the Beckman Institute. The Swanlund chair is the highest endowed title bestowed upon faculty at the University.
Her research interests include polymers and composites capable of self-healing and regeneration, mechanochemically active polymers, tailored interfaces and novel materials for more reliable energy storage. She is a Fellow of the Society of Engineering Science and the Society for Experimental Mechanics.
The Swanlund Chair is named for alumna Maybelle Leland Swanlund. Swanlund, who received a degree in library studies from Illinois in 1932 and who died in 1993, provided a $12 million endowment for chairs to attract leaders in the arts and sciences to the University and recognize current faculty members who have made exceptional contributions in their fields. The awards are for five years and may be renewed.