Effective immediately, Michael Filler will serve as interim executive director of the Georgia Tech Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology (IEN). Filler is a professor and the Traylor Faculty Fellow in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and he has served as IEN’s associate director for research programs since January 2022.

“As a leader in the field of scalable electronics manufacturing and having served as associate director of IEN, Professor Filler is in an excellent position to take on this new role,” said Julia Kubanek, professor and vice president for interdisciplinary research at Georgia Tech. “He will lead IEN in continuing to support Georgia Tech faculty pursuing microelectronics and nanotechnology-sponsored research programs and collaborations. This is especially important right now given current CHIPS Act-related funding and workforce development opportunities.”

As associate director of research programs, Filler nurtured research opportunities aligned with Georgia Tech’s Strategic Plan and the Research Next missions and goals; catalyzed new interdisciplinary research communities in the area of electronics and nanotechnology; managed the portfolio of interdisciplinary research centers and programs associated with IEN; and developed strategies for industry engagement with IEN and its centers and programs.

Filler succeeds Oliver Brand who tragically passed away in April 2023 after serving as IEN’s executive director for more than a decade. During Brand’s tenure as executive director, IEN expanded its core facilities and research programs and grew to include more than 200 faculty members at Georgia Tech from multiple colleges and schools. Brand was also instrumental in securing the coordinating office for the NSF-supported National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure at Georgia Tech.

“I’m humbled and honored to take the helm of IEN at this critical time,” said Filler. “I step into this role with profound respect for the talent, dedication, and excellence of the IEN staff, faculty, and students. I am not only committed to furthering Oliver’s legacy but also capitalizing on the opportunities brought by the CHIPS Act to support the campus community and shape the future of electronics and nanotechnology."

Filler’s research focuses on the synthesis, understanding, and manufacturing of semiconductor nanowire materials and devices to enable “hyper-scalable” electronic systems. Prior to joining the IEN leadership team, Filler co-directed the Community for Research on Active Surfaces and Interfaces (CRASI) as well as the Computational Skins for Multifunctional Objects and Systems (COSMOS) research programs.

Filler earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Cornell University and Stanford University, respectively, prior to completing postdoctoral studies at the California Institute of Technology. He has been recognized for his research and teaching with the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Georgia Tech Sigma Xi Young Faculty Award, CETL/BP Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, and as a Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Environmental Chemistry Mentor.