University of Ottawa physics professor Andrew Pelling has been named TED2017 Senior Fellow, joining a group of only 10 change-makers from around the world selected among TED’s 414 Fellows for their extraordinary work and contributions to the TED community.
Professor Pelling, a rising international star, has garnered attention worldwide for his unorthodox approach to biology, “hacking” materials such as fruits, vegetables and flowers to grow human tissues.
“TED Fellows are an extraordinary group of people who are literally changing the world,” said Pelling. “I am so grateful to be a part of such a vibrant and impactful group of people. I look forward to cultivating even deeper relationships with the remarkable global leaders found within the wider TED community.”
Founded in 2009, the TED Fellows program selects a group of rising stars through a stringent open nomination process to join the global TED community based on their achievements, strength of character and innovative approach to solving the world’s problems.
Professor Pelling was selected as TED Fellow in 2015 and described his unconventional approach to creating inexpensive biomaterials to help repair the human body in a sold-out TED Talk in Vancouver. As a Senior Fellow, Professor Pelling will now have the opportunity to participate in four additional TED events and the possibility to deliver another talk from the TED stage.
“Over the next two years I will be moving forward on diverse projects that will directly benefit from the experience, mentorship and guidance from the TED Senior Fellow program,” added Pelling.
Professor Pelling leads a highly exploratory space where scientists, engineers and artists work alongside each other in a culture of cross-disciplinary creativity. The Pelling Lab for Biophysical Manipulation uses non-genetic and non-pharmacological approaches in the pursuit of creating artificial tissues and organs that do not exist naturally.
About the TED Fellows program The TED Fellows program brings together young innovators from around the world and across disciplines, who display both outstanding achievement and exemplary character, to raise international awareness of their work and maximize their impact. The program offers Fellows full participation in a TED or TEDGlobal Conference, a two-day pre-conference of workshops and activities, the opportunity to attend a Fellows Retreat, ongoing professional coaching and mentoring, dedicated PR coaching and active participation in the TED community, including the global TED Fellows network. Founded in 2009, the TED Fellows program now includes 414 Fellows from 87 countries, and was named one of the top 10 Fellowships of 2016 by ProFellow.com.
The University of Ottawa—A crossroads of cultures and ideas The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe.
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