Professor Edgar Arriaga named Fulbright-Aalto University Distinguished Chair
Outdoor headshot photograph of Edgar Arriaga
University of Minnesota chemistry professor Edgar Arriaga has been named a 2026–27 Fulbright-Aalto University Distinguished Chair. During a six-month appointment in Finland, he will investigate how renewable cellulose-based materials could reduce biomedical laboratories’ reliance on animal models and disposable plastics. Photo by Melanie Lex, University of Minnesota Twin Cities

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (08/18/2026) – Professor Edgar Arriaga has been named a Fulbright-Aalto University Distinguished Chair for the 2026–27 academic year. For the next six months, Arriaga will conduct research at Aalto University in Espoo, Finland. This work aims to use renewable resources to reduce biomedical laboratories’ reliance on conventional animal-based research and fossil fuel-based plastics. He will also teach, lead workshops and lectures, and help develop new academic and research collaborations between the United States and Finland. 

“The Fulbright-Aalto University Distinguished Chair, sponsored by the Fulbright Finland Foundation, is a mechanism for strengthening connections between the United States and Finland,” Arriaga said. “I am excited to learn how we in Minnesota can connect with our Finnish counterparts and identify opportunities for continued collaboration.”

Read the full story on the College of Science and Engineering website.

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