US Scientist Elsa Reichmanis Defends Global Collaboration After Receiving China's Highest Science Honor

Who Is Elsa Reichmanis?

Born in Melbourne, Australia on December 9, 1953, Elsa Reichmanis emigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in Syracuse, New York . She earned her B.S. in Chemistry in 1972 and her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry in 1975, both from Syracuse University .

Her career arc traces the history of modern semiconductor research:

• Bell Labs (1970s–2000s): She began her independent career at AT&T Bell Laboratories, where she rose to Director of the Materials Research Department and was named a Bell Labs Fellow .
• Georgia Tech: She later held the Pete Silas Chair in Chemical Engineering .
• Lehigh University (2020–present): She is Professor and Carl Robert Anderson Chair in Chemical Engineering in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. In July 2024, she was appointed director of Lehigh's Institute for Functional Materials and Devices (I-FMD) .

Reichmanis holds the rare distinction of membership in three major US academies: the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Inventors, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences . She also served as 2003 President of the American Chemical Society and is an AIChE Fellow .

Her Critical Contributions to Semiconductor Manufacturing

Reichmanis is internationally recognized for the discovery, development, and engineering leadership of new families of lithographic materials — the photosensitive polymers, known as photoresists, used to pattern circuits onto silicon wafers . Her work at Bell Labs produced key advances in deep ultraviolet (DUV) photoresist materials that enabled the miniaturization of semiconductor devices .

According to Chinese sources reporting on her award, she "pioneered the design of the first industrial deep-ultraviolet photoresists, laying the foundation for VLSI (very-large-scale integration) lithography technology, and developed the first flexible semiconductor transistor" . Her body of work spans approximately 40 patents and has had a direct impact on how microchips are manufactured at scale .

Today, her research continues at Lehigh, where her group explores stretchable polymer semiconductors for next-generation flexible electronics .

Her Role with Donghua University

Reichmanis serves as Chair of the International Advisory Committee of the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials at Donghua University in Shanghai, and as an editorial advisor for Advanced Fiber Materials . Her long-standing collaboration with Chinese research teams — spanning decades — was a key factor in the award, which was announced alongside a first-class State Science and Technology Progress Award won by Donghua University for a polyester fiber project . In 2024, she had already received the Shanghai International Science and Technology Cooperation Award .

'Science Is a Universal Language': Her Views on Collaboration Amid Rivalry

Reichmanis's award comes at a time of deep US-China tension over semiconductor technology, export controls, and scientific exchange. In her South China Morning Post interview, she did not hedge:

• She described science as "a universal language" that benefits all of humanity and should remain distinct from geopolitical and technology rivalry .
• She said scientific collaboration should "transcend rivalry" and that researchers working together on fundamental questions is essential regardless of political tensions .
• She acknowledged the scrutiny facing international science exchange but argued that open collaboration on basic research ultimately benefits all participating countries .

Her stance is especially significant because her field — semiconductor materials — sits at the center of the US-China technology competition. The same lithographic materials she pioneered are essential to chip manufacturing, an industry in which the US and China are increasingly at odds over supply chains, export controls, and technology transfer.

What the Award Means

The China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award is one of China's highest honors for foreign experts. The 2025 cohort of nine recipients included scientists from Russia, Belgium, Portugal, France, and other countries, working in fields from AI to marine engineering . Reichmanis was the only American recipient .

For Reichmanis, the award is both a recognition of past work and a statement about the future of science. As she told the SCMP, the fundamental questions researchers ask — and the answers they find — do not respect national borders . In an era of tech decoupling and export controls, that message carries weight well beyond the chemistry lab.