Regents Professor
Contact
358 Amundson Hall
421 Washington Avenue SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Regents Professor
The central theme of our research program derives from a desire to better understand the thermodynamics and dynamics of polymers and polymer mixtures. Three broad areas of investigation have been developed for addressing these issues: polymer synthesis, chemical modification, and molecular characterization; structural analysis by neutron, X-ray, and light scattering, and electron microscopy; dynamical characterization through rheological and processing measurements and mechanical property evaluation. These efforts address issues in each field individually, as well as contributing to our central goals.
Anionic and living free-radical polymerization represent the primary synthetic tools with which we control polymer molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, microstructure, and chain architecture. Subsequent modifications such as catalytic hydrogenation provide for the preparation of model functionalized polymers. Molecular characterization techniques include NMR, size exclusion chromatography, and light scattering.
Establishing the phase behavior and excess thermodynamic properties of polymer mixtures and block copolymers is accomplished through extensive use of small-angle neutron scattering and neutron reflection, along with X-ray and light scattering conducted in our laboratory and at national facilities. We are particularly interested in elucidating the molecular mechanisms governing nanoscale morphology formation in melts and solutions, especially in aqueous systems, and related applications.
Polymer phase state is often correlated with rheological and mechanical properties, particularly for block copolymers, which we investigate in conjunction with the scattering experiments. The ultimate material properties that are addressed include modulus, tensile strength, ductility and toughness.
This basic research program affects a variety of technologically important fields, including polymer processing, composites, fracture mechanics, drug delivery and certain medical applications. An overarching theme of this research program reflects a commitment to develop commercially viable synthetic polymers that support a society based on the sustainable use of science and technology.
Selected Honors and Awards:
1988 AT&T Bell Laboratories Distinguished Technical Staff Award
1989 John H. Dillon Medal, American Physical Society
1989 Presidential Young Investigator Award, NSF
1990 Fellow, Mondale Policy Forum
1992 Fellow, American Physical Society
1993 George Taylor Distinguished Research Award, U. Minnesota
1996 Distinguished McKnight University Professorship
1997 Polymer Physics Prize, American Physical Society
2002 Elected to the National Academy of Engineering
2003 Society of Rheology Publication Award
2004 David Turnbull Lectureship Award, Materials Research Society
2005 Elected Fellow of the Am. Assoc. for the Advancement of Science
2007 Regents Professorship, University of Minnesota
2007 Arthur K. Doolittle Award, Am. Chem. Soc. (PMSE)
2008 Cooperative Research Award, ACS (PMSE) (awarded jointly)
2008 Sustained Research Prize, Neutron Scattering Society of Amer.
2010 Chemical Research Council Collaboration Success Award (joint)
2010 Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
2012 The Institute Lecturer, American Institute of Chemical Engineering
2015 2014 Cozzarelli Prize, Applied Science and Engineering, PNAS
2016, 2005, 1997 Creativity Extension Award, National Science Foundation
2016 Thermoplastic Elastomers Award, ACS Rubber Division
2017 Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
2018 2017 Newcomb Cleveland Prize, AAAS (awarded jointly)
2018 Moore Distinguished Scholar, Caltech
2018 Elected to National Academy of Inventors
Named Lectures:
1995 Robert W. Vaughn Lectureship, Caltech
1998 G. Stafford Whitby Lecturer, University of Akron
1999 Aggarwal Lectures, Cornell University
2000 Amundson Lectures, University of Guadalajara
2000 Robert Maddin Lecture, University of Pennsylvania
2001 S.C. Lind Lectures, University of Tennessee
2003 Rohm and Haas Lectures, University of North Carolina
2003 Laughlin Lectures, Cornell University
2003 Herbert Morawetz Lecture, Polytechnic University (now NYU)
2004 Warren K. Lewis Lectures, MIT
2004 Joe Smith Lecture, University of California at Davis
2005 Kelly Lecture, Purdue University
2006 Wilhelm Lectures, Princeton University
2007 Berkeley Lectures, University of California at Berkeley
2008 Texas Distinguished Lectureship, University of Texas at Austin
2008 Elmer Gaden Lecture, Columbia University
2009 Kurt Wohl Memorial Lecturer, University of Delaware
2009 Patten Distinguished Lecture, University of Colorado
2010 Ferry Lectures, University of Wisconsin
2011 Lindsey Lecture, Texas A&M University
2011 Abbott Lectureship Award, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
2011 Lowrie Lectures, Ohio State University
2011 Britton Chance Distinguished Lecture, Univ. of Pennsylvania
2012 Dodge Lecture, Yale University
2012 Stein Lecture, University of Massachusetts
2012 Pings Lecture, University of Southern California
2013 Lacey Lectures, Caltech
2013 Exxon Lecture, University of Massachusetts
2014 Reilly Lectureship, Notre Dame University
2015 T.W. Leland Lecture, Rice University
2016 H.C. Ørsted Lecture, Danish Technical University
2017 Ashton Cary Lecture, Georgia Institute of Technology
2018 James A. Morrison Lecturer, McMaster University
2018 Butler Lectureship, University of Florida
2020 Marino Xanthos Memorial Lecture, New Jersey Inst. of Tech.
2021 Edward N. Kramer Lecture, University of Wisconsin