Penn Engineering is pleased to announce the establishment of a new scholarly professorship, the Hibbert Professor, which has been awarded to inaugural recipient Michael J. Mitchell, Professor in Bioengineering.

The new professorship, which recognizes outstanding achievement in research, teaching and innovation in engineering health, was endowed through the generosity of Alister M. Hibbert and Sharon N. Hibbert, both dedicated supporters of Penn Engineering and proud parents of two students currently enrolled in the School.

A scholarly professorship, or named faculty position, is one of the highest honors a faculty member can receive from an academic institution. Such an appointment increases a faculty member’s distinction and validates the individual’s work, elevating their influence at Penn and beyond.

Beyond their support of Penn Engineering, the Hibberts are committed philanthropists who advance educational opportunity through charitable giving, including support for initiatives that provide training, resources and infrastructure to schools in underserved communities in Africa. In establishing this professorship, they have demonstrated their commitment to advancing education and research at Penn Engineering, helping to attract and support exceptional faculty for generations to come.

Mitchell is an internationally recognized expert in lipid nanoparticle technologies for the delivery of mRNA and other genetic medicines. His interdisciplinary research bridges biomaterials science, drug delivery and molecular engineering, with applications ranging from cancer immunotherapy and vaccines, genome editing, aging, cardiovascular disease, and fetal and maternal therapeutics.

Mitchell has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications, including those in Nature, Nature Biotechnology, Nature Materials, Nature Chemistry, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Cancer and Nature Biomedical Engineering. He is an inventor on over 80 pending or awarded patents, and is a co-founder and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of numerous biotechnology companies focused on developing non-viral delivery technologies for genetic medicines. His work has earned numerous distinctions, including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, Penn’s Emerging Inventor of the Year Award and Young Investigator Awards from the Society for Biomaterials and the Controlled Release Society. He has also been twice-designated a Clarivate World’s Top 0.1% Highly Cited Researcher, elected a Fellow of the Controlled Release Society, and received the Kabiller Rising Star Award.

Opportunities to endow a faculty position are available at the senior, assistant and distinguished scholar level. Learn more about naming opportunities at Penn Engineering.