C. Jeffrey Brinker

C. Jeffrey Brinker
Born	Charles Jeffrey Brinker Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alma mater	Rutgers University (BS, MS, PhD)
Known for	Sol-gel processing Evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) Mesoporous materials Protocells
Awards	Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award (2002) Materials Research Society Medal (2003)
Honors	Member, National Academy of Engineering Member, National Academy of Inventors Member, National Academy of Sciences Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Scientific career
Fields	Materials science Chemical engineering Nanotechnology
Institutions	Sandia National Laboratories University of New Mexico

Charles Jeffrey Brinker (known as C. Jeffrey Brinker) is an American materials scientist and engineer. He is a Distinguished and Regents' Professor Emeritus at the University of New Mexico (UNM) and a Sandia Fellow Emeritus at Sandia National Laboratories. Brinker is best known for his pioneering research in sol-gel processing, molecular self-assembly, porous and nanostructured materials, and the development of mesoporous silica–lipid hybrid nanoparticles known as protocells for targeted drug delivery. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Inventors, and the National Academy of Sciences, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Early life and education

Brinker was born in Easton, Pennsylvania. He attended Rutgers University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree with high honors in 1972, a Master of Science degree in 1975, and a Ph.D. in 1978, all in Ceramic Science and Engineering. ^[1]

Career

Brinker began his professional career at Sandia National Laboratories in 1979 as a member of the technical staff, later serving as a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff until 1998. ^[2] In 1991, Brinker also began a joint academic appointment at the University of New Mexico (UNM) as Distinguished National Laboratory Professor of Chemistry and Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, serving in this role until 1999. In 1999, he was appointed Professor of Chemistry and Chemical and Nuclear Engineering at UNM, a position he held until 2006. ^[3]

From 1999 to 2003, Brinker concurrently served as a Senior Scientist in the Chemical Synthesis and Nanomaterials Department at Sandia National Laboratories. In 2003, he was named a Laboratory Fellow at Sandia ^[4] and served in that role until 2019.

At UNM, Brinker was appointed Regents’ Professor of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering and Molecular Genetics and Microbiology in 2006 and designated Distinguished Professor in 2008. In 2010, he became a member of the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center. ^[5] From 2006 to 2020, he also served as a Distinguished Affiliate Scientist at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a U.S. Department of Energy research center. ^[3] Since 2020, he has served as an associate editor of ACS Nano . ^[6] Following his retirement from full-time academic duties, he was named Distinguished and Regents’ Professor Emeritus at UNM. ^[3]

Selected honors and awards

• W. H. Zachariasen Award for best contribution to the glass literature (1988), Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids ^[7]
• Fellow, American Ceramic Society (1990) ^[8]
• Elected to the National Academy of Engineering (2002) ^[9]
• Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award, U.S. Department of Energy (2002) ^[10]
• Materials Research Society Medal, Materials Research Society (2003) ^[11]
• Edward R. Orton Jr. Memorial Award, American Ceramic Society and ASM International (2008) ^[12]
• Fellow of the Materials Research Society (2009) ^[13]
• Robert B. Sosman Award, American Ceramic Society (2010) ^[14]
• Elected to the Board of Directors, Materials Research Society (2014) ^[15]
• University of New Mexico STC Innovation Fellow Award (2015) ^[16]
• UNM Presidential Medal of Distinction, University of New Mexico (2015) ^[17]
• Elected to the National Academy of Inventors (2015) ^[18]
• Lifetime Achievement Award, International Sol-Gel Society (2017) ^[19]
• Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2018) ^[20]
• Elected to the National Academy of Sciences (2021) ^[21]

Books

• Brinker, C. J.; Clark, D. E.; Ulrich, D. R. (eds.). Better Ceramics Through Chemistry. North-Holland, 1984.
• Brinker, C. J.; Clark, D. E.; Ulrich, D. R. (eds.). Better Ceramics Through Chemistry II. Materials Research Society, 1986.
• Brinker, C. J.; Clark, D. E.; Ulrich, D. R. (eds.). Better Ceramics Through Chemistry III. Materials Research Society, 1988.
• Brinker, C. J.; Scherer, G. W. Sol-Gel Science: The Physics and Chemistry of Sol-Gel Processing. Academic Press, San Diego, 1990.
• Brinker, C. J.; Clark, D. E.; Ulrich, D. R. (eds.). Better Ceramics Through Chemistry IV. Materials Research Society, 1990.
• Brinker, C. J.; Clark, D. E.; Ulrich, D. R. (eds.). Better Ceramics Through Chemistry V. Materials Research Society, 1992.
• Brinker, C. J.; Clark, D. E.; Ulrich, D. R. (eds.). Better Ceramics Through Chemistry VI. Materials Research Society, 1994.
• Brinker, C. J. (co-author). Nanotechnology Research Directions for Societal Needs in 2020: Retrospective and Outlook. Springer, 2010.

References

1. "The Case to Increase the Support of Doctoral Students Across the New Brunswick-Piscataway Campus of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey" (PDF). Rutgers University.
2. "Get to Know ACS Nano's C. Jeffrey Brinker". ACS Publications Chemistry. 19 March 2020.
3. "Jeffrey Brinker". The University of New Mexico.
4. "Jeff Brinker, Jim Gosler appointed Sandia Fellows". LabNews.
5. "Bio :: Brinker Group: Nanostructures Research". University of New Mexico.
6. "ACS Nano Editorial Board – ACS Publications". ACS. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
7. "C.J. Brinker Wins Zachariasen Award in Glass Science" (PDF). Springer. doi:10.1557/S088376940006259X.
8. "Fellows of The American Ceramic Society from 1930-Present" (PDF). American Ceramic Society.
9. "Dr. C. Jeffrey Brinker". NAE.
10. "The Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award". U.S. DOE Office of Science (SC). 13 July 2010.
11. "MRS Medal Recipients". MRS.
12. "Edward Orton, Jr. Memorial Lecture History of Lecturers" (PDF). American Ceramic Society.
13. "List of MRS Fellows". MRS.
14. "ACerS Robert B. Sosman Lecture" (PDF). American Ceramic Society.
15. "Materials Research Society Announces Vice President, Secretary, and New Board Members for 2014". Materials Research Society.
16. "Brinker, Willman chosen as 2015 Innovation Fellows by STC.UNM". UNM UCAM Newsroom.
17. "Brinker, Crown to receive 2015 Presidential Award of Distinction". University of New Mexico.
18. "COMPLETE LIST OF CURRENT NAI FELLOWS" (PDF). National Academy of Inventors.
19. Jitianu, Andrei (1 January 2019). "The 2017 Life Achievement Awards of the International Sol-Gel Society". Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology. 89 (1): 62–65. doi:10.1007/s10971-018-4904-7. ISSN   1573-4846.
20. "C. Jeffrey Brinker". American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 18 October 2025.
21. "C. Jeffrey Brinker". National Academy of Sciences.