The Jefferson Science Fellowship is open to tenured, or similarly ranked, academic scientists, engineers, and physicians from U.S. institutions of higher learning, who are U.S. citizens. Each Fellow will spend one year at the U.S. Department of State or USAID for an on-site assignment in Washington, D.C. that may also involve extended stays at U.S. foreign embassies and/or missions. Following the fellowship year, the Jefferson Science Fellow will return to his academic career, but will remain available to the U.S. Department of State and USAID for projects over the subsequent five years.

Of his upcoming assignment, Dr. Colton states, “I am looking forward to this exciting opportunity to work with the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development on their important missions around the world.  This is a wonderful chance for Georgia Tech and me to contribute to the service of our Nation.”  

Professor Colton is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and of the Society of Plastics Engineers. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Georgia and a program evaluator for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Dr. Colton is a member of the World Health Organization’s Immunization Practices Advisory Committee and of the Board of Directors of the Global Soap Project. He is the recipient of a NASA Space Act Award and NSF’s Presidential Young Investigator Award. Professor Colton’s research interests include polymer and polymer composites processing, design, manufacturing, and humanitarian design and engineering. His teaching interests include manufacturing, industrial design, and humanitarian design and engineering. Professor Colton obtained his S.B., S.M., and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, prior to joining Georgia Tech’s faculty in 1985.

Learn about all of the 2013-2014 Jefferson Science Fellows.