For his contributions to developing the highest resolution electron microscope in the world, David Muller, the Samuel B. Eckert Professor in the School of Applied and Engineering Physics at the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

Election to the academy is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer and recognizes individuals for pioneering new and innovative approaches in their fields, according to a Feb. 10 announcement introducing the academy’s Class of 2026.

Muller was elected for his advances in atomic-scale electron microscopy and materials characterization, which have expanded the fundamental understanding of matter and enabled new insights into renewable energy, semiconductor devices, biology and other research fields. His development of a new electron detectors and reconstruction algorithms resulted in an electron microscope that, in 2021, bested its own world record for resolution, capturing an image of atoms with such precision that the only remaining blur came from the atoms’ own thermal motion.

“David’s extraordinary influence extends far beyond his own research,” said Lynden Archer, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering. “Across campus and across continents, researchers turn to him for insight. He has helped shape how an entire community approaches imaging and materials discovery.”

One example of that impact came in 2013 when, working with scientists at Cornell and Germany’s University of Ulm, Muller imaged the world’s thinnest sheet of glass. At just two atoms thick, the material offered new insights into the fundamental structure of glass by revealing, for the first time, the individual arrangement of its atoms.

“David is a vital member of our school,” said Chris Xu, director of the School of Applied and Engineering Physics. “Alongside his groundbreaking scientific contributions, he has been a deeply insightful colleague and a remarkable mentor to generations of students. His presence elevates all of us.”

A faculty member at Cornell since 2003, Muller is co-director of the Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, co-director of the Cornell Center for Materials Research, and director of the Electron Microscopy Facility at the Platform for the Accelerated Realization, Analysis, and Discovery of Interface Materials.

Muller’s many distinctions include the John M. Cowley Medal from the International Federation of Societies for Microscopy, the Joseph F. Keithley Award for Advances in Measurement Science from the American Physical Society, the Burton Medal from the Microscopy Society of America, and the Duncumb Award from the Microscopy and Microanalysis Society. He is a fellow of both the American Physical Society and the Microscopy Society of America.

Muller and members of the newly elected class will be formally inducted during the National Academy of Engineering’s Annual Meeting in October. Muller’s election brings the current total of academy members in Duffield Engineering to 27.

Syl Kacapyr is associate director of marketing and communications for Duffield Engineering.