Julio Mario Ottino is an artist, researcher, author, and educator at Northwestern University, where he currently serves as dean of the McCormick School of Engineering. Born in Argentina, he grew up with twin interests in physical sciences and visual arts.
Julio’s scientific interests began with work in chaos theory and applications to mixing, which he started exploring in the 1980s. Julio’s seminal insights stemmed from a combination of scientific insight and visualization. Most recently he has been interested in the study of complex systems as well as the interplay of art, technology, and science. His research has appeared on the covers of Nature, Science, Scientific American, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
An academic entrepreneur, Julio founded university-wide initiatives in the areas of complex systems, design, entrepreneurship, and energy and sustainability. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has been a Guggenheim Fellow and is a member of both the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This year he was awarded the Bernard Gordon Prize from the National Academy of Engineering, the top US award in education and technology.
