Jeffrey W. Kysar received a BS in 1987 and an MS in 1992 in mechanical engineering from Kansas State University and a PhD in engineering sciences from Harvard University in 1998. In 2006 he received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Currently, he is a professor of mechanical engineering and of otolaryngology—head & neck surgery and chair of mechanical engineering at Columbia University. His research focuses on the mechanical behavior and mechanics of materials at small scales and under extreme conditions, with an emphasis on understanding how defects in a material lead to its failure. His research interests cover mechanical properties and the mechanics of two-dimensional materials, defect evolution during metal plasticity, nanoscale and microscale fabrication and 3D printing, and mechanical engineering.