Ellen Fisher, vice president for research at The University of New Mexico (UNM), has received the John A. Thorton Memorial Award in recognition of her work in materials chemistry. The award, presented every two years, honors significant research or technological innovation in areas such as thin films and plasma processing.
Fisher was acknowledged for her research into plasma chemistries and plasma-surface interactions, particularly in thin film deposition and surface modification. She explained her approach by saying, “Used in a range of applications from contact lenses to microelectronic chips, plasmas (think the sun or a plasma torch) are the fourth state of matter, containing a multitude of reactive species. I often liken them to vegetable soup where you don’t always know which vegetable is contributing what to the overall flavor of the soup. Thus, the fundamental focus of my work has been to understand how materials get made or modified on a molecular level within plasmas – deconstructing the soup. Regardless of the type of material, being able to understand how the atoms and molecules interact to provide desired qualities in the resulting material allows us to tune the properties in a much more efficient manner than a trial-and-error approach.”
Over her career, Fisher has published more than 170 peer-reviewed articles covering topics including plasma science, thin films, membrane technology, laser spectroscopy, materials chemistry, chemistry education, team science, and research ethics. She has also mentored many students and junior faculty, graduating 22 doctoral and nine master’s students, as well as guiding nearly 50 undergraduates into further academic or professional pursuits.
Morgan Hawker, a former graduate student who nominated Fisher for the award, said, “I couldn’t think of anyone more fitting for the John A. Thorton Memorial Award than Dr. Fisher due to her continued success in mentoring students in plasma processing and thin films. Dr. Fisher taught me so much as a Ph.D. student, including how to effectively communicate scientific ideas and how to conduct transdisciplinary research efficiently with others.”
Hawker also reflected on her experience working with Fisher: “Sitting alongside Dr. Fisher in the many writing sessions we had, I learned so much about what it means to write a review article, and about technical scientific writing in general. Her unwavering support gave me confidence to build my own professional expertise in plasma chemistry. The collaborative group environment she cultivated allowed me to do my best work as a student and it is something I try to emulate in my own research group.”
Since joining UNM in 2021, Fisher has led the Office of the Vice President for Research and launched the WeR1 faculty success program. This initiative supports faculty development through programs focused on research leadership, instrument acquisition, scholarship time allocation, enterprise software use for research activities, support for social sciences and humanities faculty, and assistance with proposal resubmission.
Upon receiving the award from AVS (American Vacuum Society), Fisher said, “I am so honored and humbled to receive this award from the AVS which has been my professional home for over 30 years. I am incredibly grateful to the awards committee for selecting me this year and to my nominators for their efforts as well. It is especially meaningful that I was able to celebrate the award with several of my former students and their students (my academic grandkids!), as well as my husband, and numerous colleagues and friends I’ve made throughout my career.”
Fisher continues her work at UNM as both an administrator and professor.
