Professor Emeritus Robert Cohen, pioneering polymers researcher and devoted mentor, dies at 79

Robert E. Cohen, the Raymond A. (1921) and Helen E. St. Laurent Professor of Chemical Engineering, Emeritus, whose pioneering research helped shape the fields of polymers and soft matter while inspiring generations of students, passed away peacefully on July 9 following a long battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 79.

"Bob Cohen was an innovator in every sense of the word: in his research, his approach to mentorship, and in every aspect of our community at MIT," says Kristala Prather '94, the Arthur D. Little Professor and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChemE). "Bob combined extraordinary intellect with remarkable humility. As a teacher, colleague, advisor, and friend, he had a gift for making people feel respected, valued, and heard. That generosity shaped every part of his work and inspired everyone fortunate enough to know him."

During more than four decades at MIT, Cohen continually reimagined how chemical engineering students should be educated. Recruited for his expertise in polymer science, he brought to MIT the polymer laboratory course he had developed during his postdoctoral work at the University of Oxford, establishing class 10.467 (Polymer Science Laboratory). The rigorous undergraduate course introduced generations of students to polymer synthesis, physical chemistry, and the evaluation of mechanical properties through hands-on experimentation.

In 1986, Cohen founded the Program in Polymer Science and Technology, now known as the Program in Polymers and Soft Matter (PPSM). Recognizing that advances in polymer science require expertise spanning chemistry, physics, engineering, and materials science, he created one of MIT's first truly interdisciplinary graduate programs. PPSM continues to prepare doctoral students to tackle complex challenges across the broad field of polymers and soft materials.

"Bob Cohen is the reason I returned to MIT as a graduate student," says Paula Hammond '84, PhD '93, Institute professor, dean of the School of Engineering, and a PPSM alumna. "His vision for multidisciplinary polymer education was unlike anything I had experienced. I benefited from him as a teacher in the classroom, as a member of my thesis committee, and a life-long mentor. As a department head, I saw firsthand the extraordinary impact he had on generations of students and on the field itself."

Cohen also conceived the unique PhD in chemical engineering practice (PhDCEP) degree, recognizing that future leaders in chemical engineering would benefit from combining advanced research with industrial experience and business education. The first and only program if its kind, the PhDCEP program integrates coursework, MIT's renowned David H. Koch School of Chemical Engineering Practice, doctoral research, and study at the MIT Sloan School of Management. 

Cohen also founded and directed the DuPont/MIT Alliance from 2000 to 2012, creating a highly successful partnership that brought together researchers from MIT and DuPont to develop innovative materials and manufacturing technologies. The collaboration advanced research in bioelectronics, biomimetic materials, alternative energy, and metabolic engineering, while fostering lasting collaborations across disciplines.

Cohen was a prolific collaborator whose pioneering research established him as one of the world's leading chemical engineers. His contributions include omniphobic surfaces, block copolymer nanoreactors for inorganic cluster synthesis, tough-stiff nanocomposites, chain folding in confined geometries, and layer-by-layer assemblies at the biotic-abiotic interface. Yet when asked about his proudest accomplishments, he rarely pointed to his scientific discoveries. Instead, he spoke about his students, and took immense pride in watching many former PhD students go on to become faculty members and leaders at top institutions around the world.

Raised in Oil City, Pennsylvania, Cohen developed an early appreciation for chemical engineering. After earning his master's and doctoral degrees from Caltech and completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Oxford, he joined the MIT faculty in 1973. Over the next four decades, he became internationally recognized as a groundbreaking researcher, educator, entrepreneur, and mentor. 

Cohen was a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Polymer Division of the American Chemical Society, the American Physical Society and the Materials Research Society. Cohen co-founded MatTek Corp., helping translate advances in biomaterials into practical applications.

Although Cohen received many prestigious honors throughout his career, he often said the award that meant the most to him was the inaugural Paul J. Flory Polymer Education Award, presented by the American Chemical Society in 2012. The honor recognized his leadership in building the interdisciplinary PPSM program and transforming undergraduate polymer education. Fittingly, it celebrated what he valued most: helping students discover their potential.

Cohen is survived by his beloved wife, Jane; his son, Eliot Cohen, his wife Jacqueline Aldred Cohen, and their children Ada, Brennan, and Callan; his daughter, Genevieve Cohen, and her daughter Emma; his sister, Nancy Stein, and her husband Herb; sisters-in-law Lee Woodman and Betsy Woodman; brother-in-law Wally Coleman; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

A memorial service is scheduled for Oct. 17 at the MIT Chapel. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Cohen’s memory to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

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