The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that Pedro Reis has received a 2014 Early Career Award from the NSF’s Structural Mechanics and Materials program for his project, “Smart Morphable Surfaces for Aerodynamic Drag Control.” With the award, Reis plans to devise and formalize a new class of Smart Morphable Surfaces (Smorphs) that can achieve on-demand and reversible topography. He hopes this functionality can eventually be exploited for aerodynamic drag reduction and control on structures with complex-shaped surfaces, much like a dimpled golf ball, albeit with added switchable and tunable capabilities. The Early Career Award is the NSF’s most prestigious award for young researchers. Read a news release.