Dr. Richard J. Spontak, Distinguished Professor at North Carolina State University, has over 40 years of experience concerning thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). During the past 25 years, he has explored new and exciting applications of TPEs as stimuli-responsive and functional soft materials ranging from electroactive and shape-memory media to carbon-capture membranes and antimicrobial surfaces. He received his B.S. and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Penn State and UC Berkeley, respectively, and he pursued post-doctoral studies at Cambridge University (UK) and the Institute for Energy Technology (Norway) before joining the Procter & Gamble Company and later North Carolina State University. He has published over 300 peer-reviewed journal publications and presented nearly 400 invited presentations worldwide. He has received numerous awards in recognition of his research: the SPE International Award, the ACS (Rubber) Chemistry of Thermoplastic Elastomers Award, the ACS (PMSE) Roy W. Tess Award in Coatings, the Society of Polymer Science, Japan, International Award, and the Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining (IOM3) Colwyn Medal. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the IOM3, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the ACS PMSE Division, as well as a member of the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences.