• 2025 Luminary Award winner •

Dr. Elizabeth M. Santos has established herself as one of the most promising scientists in materials chemistry, advancing silicone elastomer technology at Dow with a unique blend of technical rigor, creativity, and leadership. Since joining Dow in 2017, she has become a recognized authority in silicone sealants and adhesives, serving as a research scientist in the Performance Materials & Coatings division. She specializes in correlating polymer physics and chemistry with real-world performance, enabling Dow’s DowSIL™ brand to meet growing demands for durability, efficiency, and sustainability.

Her research focuses on moisture- and heat-cured silicone elastomers. In building and infrastructure markets, she has pioneered safer sealant formulations, including neutral-cure systems that release alcohol rather than methyl ethyl ketoxime (MEKO), addressing both environmental health and regulatory concerns. She has also led the exploration of alternative catalysts and strategies to reduce volatile siloxane species, anticipating sustainability drivers well before industry mandates.

In the mobility sector, Dr. Santos developed innovative coatings and adhesives for airbag safety, flame-retardant silicone rubbers for mass transit that meet EN 45545-2 R1/HL3 standards, and low-weight coating systems that reduce material use without compromising safety. Across both markets, her deep investigations into adhesion and coupling agents have unlocked new design pathways. Her collaborative work with the University of Michigan, leveraging sum frequency generation spectroscopy, has produced six publications in Langmuir and Soft Matter, significantly advancing understanding of buried polymer interfaces.

Dr. Santos’s impact extends to intellectual property, with more than 15 patent applications and multiple granted patents spanning sealants, adhesives, and elastomer compositions. Her innovations have generated over $60 million in annual revenue while safeguarding $150 million through quality and supply-chain robustness. A skilled statistician and experimental designer, she regularly builds predictive models linking formulation to performance. Her peers view her as a go-to problem solver, bridging mechanistic insight with market realities. She has also served as principal investigator for university collaborations and as technical lead on global exploratory platforms addressing sustainability and adhesion challenges.

Initially drawn to early childhood education, Dr. Santos’s trajectory shifted after attending a STEM summer program at Kettering University. She went on to earn dual bachelor’s degrees in Industrial Engineering and Biochemistry, graduating with highest honors and recognition including the President’s Medal and Woman of the Year award. At Michigan State University, she pursued a Ph.D. in Chemistry, focusing on protein engineering and live-cell imaging, while also mentoring undergraduates and high school students. Beyond her professional achievements, she has consistently invested in mentorship and inclusion. Her passion for community extends globally, from Engineers Without Borders clean water projects in Mexico and South Africa to local volunteerism.

Today, Dr. Santos balances her career with personal joys—roller derby with the Midland Chemical City Roller Derby team and, most recently, motherhood, having welcomed a daughter earlier this year.  She continues to exemplify the rare scientist who not only drives technical breakthroughs but also inspires colleagues, mentors future leaders, and advances sustainability for society at large. Her blend of scientific ingenuity, leadership, and humanity makes her a true rising star in STEM.