Dr. Aaron Franklin is a Duke University Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Chemistry. He has authored over 100 publications, holds more than 50 patents, and has been a featured speaker at numerous conferences and lectures. Aaron served as general chair of the international Device Research Conference in 2018. He earned the Capers & Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Teaching and Research from Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering.

His research in the areas of nanomaterials and nanoelectronics has been sponsored by funding from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, and private companies. In 2017, he founded Tyrata, a company based on a patented, printed electronic sensor capable of measuring the health of a tire’s tread. As Chief Technology Officer, Aaron has raised nearly $10 million in investments for the firm, including from the largest tire manufacturer in the world, Bridgestone. Recent research netted a transformative demonstration of electronics that are printed onto paper with all materials completely recyclable.

While achieving at the highest level in education and business, this first-generation college graduate devotes time to nurturing undergraduate and graduate students by guiding them to become important participants in his research. Aaron characterizes these students as “a part of my family, both within our research group and also with my wife and children.” Mentoring more than 20 graduate students in his lab and dozens of undergraduates since 2014, he was honored with the 2021 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring from Duke University.

For a link to the full video of the ceremony, please visit MCC Hall of Fame 2022.