Matt Panzer Named E Ink Professor of Engineering

Professor and Dean of Research Matt Panzer of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering was recently named the inaugural E Ink Professor of Engineering.

The E Ink Professorship in Engineering was established in 2026 to support a full professorship in the School of Engineering, including the teaching, research, service, and other activities of the professorship holder. The Chairman and CEO of E Ink Holdings, Inc., is alumnus Johnson Lee, A98. In addition to supporting the professorship fund, E Ink Holdings has also made generous commitments to establish a new makerspace on campus.

In the Green Energy and Novel Electrolytes Lab at Tufts, Panzer’s research group develops an understanding of how solution-processed materials, including nonvolatile and flexible ionic liquid-based gel electrolytes can be effectively designed and incorporated into novel electrochemical devices for the efficient storage and responsible use of electrical energy. From a chemical engineering perspective, the group aims to discover, better understand, and improve upon a variety of next-generation technologies for energy applications.

Panzer has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, and other organizations for his research. In 2025, he delivered a lecture at the Royal Society on developing wearable sensors that could help aging populations to monitor their health independently.

Beyond his dedication to research, Panzer is a well-respected educator within the Tufts community. He is a four-time recipient of the Henry and Madeline Fischer Award, which is given to a faculty member judged by graduating engineering seniors to be "Engineering's Teacher of the Year." His teaching excellence has also been recognized with the Lillian and Joseph Leibner Award for Distinguished Teaching and Advising (2016), and the Recognition of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence (ROUTE) Award from Tufts University (2014).

Panzer joined Tufts as an assistant professor in 2009. He received tenure in 2015 and rose to the rank of full professor in 2021. In addition to his faculty appointment, Panzer holds many other roles at Tufts. Since 2023 he has served as Dean of Research for the School of Engineering. He is also the interim director of the Tufts Epsilon Materials Institute, where researchers address the urgent global challenge of creating cleaner, safer, and more sustainable energy solutions. 

Panzer obtained an Honors Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering, with distinction, from the University of Delaware. He earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the University of Minnesota under the direction of Professor C. Daniel Frisbie.

Learn more about E Ink Professor of Engineering and Dean of Research Matt Panzer.