​Kristi Kiick, Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and in Biomedical Engineering, is currently Deputy Dean of the College of Engineering. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship, a National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship, and a Eugene DuPont Memorial Scholarship. Her research centers on biologically derived methods for the synthesis and assembly of advanced macromolecular materials and includes: the development of protein engineering methods for the synthesis and modification of artificial protein polymers; the use of modified proteins in both biological and materials applications such as toxin neutralization, manipulation of cell signaling, and construction of light-emitting devices; the development of new elastomeric materials with well-defined conformational and assembly behavior; the assembly of hydrogel networks via protein-polysaccharide interactions to produce materials that mimic the biological activity of the extracellular matrix and that have controlled mechanical, erosion, and drug delivery properties; the development of delivery vehicles that respond to stimuli presented on cell surfaces, with potential applications in wound healing, chemotherapy, and tissue engineering; and the application of these materials in basic investigations of cell-material interactions, and in clinical venues such as wound healing and cardiovascular repair.