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University of Vermont Acting Provost, Senior Vice President and Professor of Mechanical Engineering Linda S. Schadler has been elected to the  (NAE), one of the highest professional honors accorded to an engineer, for her “contributions to the fundamental understanding, property control, and commercial application of polymer nanocomposites.”

Schadler will be formally inducted into the Class of 2025 at the NAE's Annual Meeting on October 5, alongside 128 new members and 22 international members. She will follow in the footsteps of her late father, Dr. Harvey W. Schadler, a leading metallurgist at General Electric who was elected to the NAE in 1991.

Members are elected to the NAE by their peers in the Academy, recognizing outstanding achievement in teaching, research, and engineering practice. 

“I am incredibly honored and touched by this recognition from the National Academy of Engineering,” said Schadler. “My achievements would not have been possible without the many wonderful mentors I have had throughout my career, the support of my family, and the hard work of my students who I continue to learn from."

A well-respected experimentalist in material science, Schadler’s research focuses on . Polymer composites are well known for their use in skis (e.g. fiberglass or carbon fiber), golf clubs, and airplanes. Polymer nanocomposites are different because the fibers or particles that are added are less than 100nm in diameter.  More than 1000 can fit on the head of a pin! Their small size leads to unique combinations of properties (such as transparent conducting materials).  

Schadler’s more applied work has focused on dielectric materials to support the rapidly changing materials needed for a resilient electric grid, or nanocomposites with mechanical properties tailored for niche applications.  Most recently, she has turned toward understanding and developing bioplastics and building a nanomaterials data resource to bring the data for the community together in a way that allows for rapid design, development, and deployment of new materials.

A co-author of more than 190 journal publications, several book chapters, and one book, Schadler is a former member of the Materials Research Society’s Board of Directors and ASM International's Board of Trustees, the world's largest association of materials-centric engineers and scientists. She was named one of Reuters’ Top 100 Materials Scientists in the Last Decade in 2011. 

Before her appointment as Acting Provost and Senior Vice President this past October, Schadler served as the Dean of the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS) since 2018, overseeing exemplary growth in both research funding and graduate enrollment for the College. Schadler also remains committed to her passion for teaching and research.

Schadler graduated from Cornell University in 1985 with a B.S. in materials science and engineering and received a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering in 1990 from the University of Pennsylvania. Following two years of post-doctoral work at IBM, Schadler moved on to an assistant professorship at Drexel University. 

In 1996, Schadler joined the faculty at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), where she spent many happy years teaching and doing research. In 2009, she was appointed the associate dean of academic affairs in the school of engineering before becoming the vice provost and dean of undergraduate education in 2014.

While at Rensselaer, Schadler also directed educational outreach at RPI’s Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC) for Directed Assembly of Nanostructures, one of six nanotechnology centers funded by the National Science Foundation. As part of the NSEC, Schadler was the creative force behind the development of , an innovative series of animated shorts for elementary school children that used a planetarium and later cinema to explore the nanoscale world.

Beyond her research, Schadler is also a dedicated mentor and leader in the engineering and science community, encouraging women in the field, whether as a personal mentor or through support of K–12 outreach or undergraduate programs focused on women in STEM. 

This year also marks the first incoming cohort of students in �պ�����’s STEM Scholars program. Implemented by Schadler and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Student Success Jennifer Dickinson, STEM Scholars is the cornerstone initiative of a $2.5M Driving Change grant funded by the  to create a cohort-based learning community with the goal of developing change leaders in inclusive excellence in the STEM fields.

“Election to the NAE is among the very highest honors in the field of engineering, and Linda is fully deserving of this incredible distinction and recognition,” said Interim President Patricia Prelock. “Linda’s passion for engineering – throughout her career as a researcher, educator, and dean of �պ�����’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences – has resulted in important scientific advances, and has been a source of great inspiration to her peers, colleagues, and students.”