My research program focuses on developing the tools and fundamental understanding necessary to efficiently process soft materials and complex fluids. Soft materials and complex fluids have been in an exciting “discovery” phase for the last few decades as synthetic methods have been fully integrated, the seemingly disparate fields of colloidal and macromolecular science have moved closer together, and powerful analytical tools have become readily available. Creative ideas have resulted in entire classes of soft materials that are being considered for transformational technologies like soft robotics, flexible electronics, smart/actuated biomaterials, sustainable coatings, point-of-use (personalized) formulation. Realization of any of these technologies at scale will require a move from discovery in soft materials to soft material processing and engineering. This goes beyond simple scale up of volumes of material to integration of length and time scales of the fundamental forces controlling soft materials.   

Soft materials are those held together by weak ~O(kT) forces and usually processed in a fluid or gel-like form. Within this class of materials, the nanometer through micron structures that control macroscopic behavior need to be controlled and manipulated. The weak forces that define these materials are the same ones that allow for facile manipulation via external forces, meaning that these materials are processible; the structure can continually be altered and changed in response to a processing field or stimuli. The field of polymer processing has established the use of external fields to control structure and function; the expansion to include soft materials containing self-assembling molecules and colloidal particles is a frontier that will define the next era of soft materials science and engineering. Current focus of my research program is in two directions of soft material processing: control of fluid-fluid interfaces and manipulation of nanostructure in macromolecular solutions. The two different areas are connected through techniques and tools being used in the laboratory; and then into applications and platforms being developed.   

We are building an effort to combine domain expertise through systems-level modelling to develop systematic approaches of formulation engineering to increase the incorporation of sustainable molecules into consumer products. Multicomponent fluid formulations exist across a range of industries and consume feedstocks that need to be replaced with sustainable molecules, sustainable in terms of environmental impact, supply chain, economic, recyclability and degradability. These formulations have often evolved, and the specific molecular level interactions are not understood at a product optimization level. Therefore, there is reticence to replace single components in existing formulations due to the inability to predict the impact on product performance. There are many options for potential replacements and the focus of research activities has been on developing new chemistries and sources of sustainable (“green”) molecules.  Use of these molecules will be hindered without a systematic approach to optimize the formulation of fluid products based on changing single components. The power of a systematic approach would also allow for innovative changes and innovation in formulation.  Without a systematic framework, formulation science will remain an “art” and incorporation of sustainable materials will be slow or not widely practiced. Development of systematic approaches will require multidisciplinary teams of scientists and researchers trained in different areas of expertise from physical and synthetic chemistry through to machine learning (ML) and optimization.  Since these groups do not typically interact, training and research at the interfaces needs to be facilitated.

Research Group

B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of New Hampshire 

Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware 

Postdoc, Applied Rheology Lab, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven 

Scriven Chair, UMN 2023-2026 

Fellow, DSOFT, American Physical Society, 2022 

Fellow, Society of Rheology, 2017 

George T. Piercy Distinguished Visiting Professorship, UMN, 2017 

Barbara Lazarus Award, Mentoring of Junior Faculty and Graduate students, Carnegie Mellon, 2016 

Fellow, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 2016 

AIChE WIC Excellence in Mentorship Award, 2015 

Kun Li Award for Excellence in Education, Carnegie Mellon, 2000 & 2003 

Merck, Sharp & Dohme Lecturer, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez PR, 2002 

NSF CAREER Award, 2001 

DuPont Young Professor Grant, Carnegie Mellon, 2000