Moungi Bawendi named a member of the 2025 Class of “Great Immigrants, Great Americans” by the Carnegie Corporation

Moungi Bawendi, the Lester Wolfe Professor of Chemistry, has been named one of the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s 2025 Class of Great Immigrants, Great Americans. This year’s twenty honorees, distinguished naturalized American citizens, were chosen in recognition of their contributions, which “have enriched our society and helped to strengthen our democracy.”

Bawendi, who was born in Paris, France, emigrated to the United States as a child after periods of living in both France and Tunisia. After completing his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Harvard University, he earned his PhD from the University of Chicago and joined the MIT Chemistry Faculty in 1990.

Bawendi’s research ranges from the very fundamental to applications in electro-optics and biology. He is renowned for his leadership in the development of tiny particles known as quantum dots, and was named a recipient of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on techniques to generate quantum dots of uniform size and color.

“The U.S. is a nation of immigrants, and our ongoing support of nonpartisan organizations that help establish legal pathways for citizenship continues to enrich the very fabric of American life,” said Dame Louise Richardson, president of Carnegie, who is a naturalized American citizen born in Ireland. “We applaud this year’s 20th class and the hundreds of ‘Great Immigrants, Great Americans’ before them.”

Every Fourth of July since 2006, Carnegie has celebrated the exemplary contributions of immigrants to American life, as part of its focus on reducing political polarization and strengthening democracy.