Faculty Specialty Areas
| First Name | Last Name | Program | Area of Interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samira | Azarin | 4D | Biomanufacturing |
| Chris | Bartel | 4D | Materials design |
| Frank | Bates | MP | Program addresses fundamental and technologically relevant topics dealing with the design and controlled synthesis, structure, rheological and mechanical properties of synthetic polymers, including block polymers and blends, in the melt and solutions states. |
| Turan | Birol | 4D | Materials theory and design |
| David | Blank | OM | Focused on understanding the principles that govern exciton relaxation, exciton transport (energy transfer), and charge transfer in model organic systems in solution and in thin films. We employ time resolved non-linear spectroscopic techniques, and include two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy and ultrafast time-resolved Raman spectroscopy. |
| Natalie | Boehnke | 4D | Nanotechnology / drug delivery |
| Michelle | Calabrese | MP | Rheology and processing, in situ scattering, new techniques and analyses |
| Marcio | Carvalho | CPF | Fluid mechanics, rheology, transport phenomena, drying. |
| Xiang | Cheng | CPF | Colloids, Polymers, Rheology, Visualization |
| Prodromos | Daoutidis | 4D Program Leader | Control and systems engineering |
| Paul | Dauenhauer | 4D | Reaction engineering |
| Kevin | Dorfman | MP | Focuses on topics in polymer physics, microfluidics and biotechnology, including modeling, confined polymers, DNA |
| Chris | Douglas | OM | |
| Cari | Dutcher |
| Complex fluids and multiphase flows, including aerosols, emulsions, and foams. Interfacial rheology and surfactant transport phenomena. Two-phase microfluidics. |
| Chris | Ellison | MP Program Leader | Thin Film Block Copolymers for Lithography, Graphene Elastomers, Foams and Aerogels, Nature Inspired Green Approach to Fiber Manufacturing using Thiol-ene Photopolymerization, Catechol Based Multifunctional Materials |
| Vivian | Ferry | OM, 4D | Nanostructured materials |
| Lorraine | Francis | CPF Program Leader | Materials processing; coating processing; microstructure and properties; ceramics; and printed electronics. |
| Dan | Frisbie | CPF, NMP, OM | The applied aspects of Frisbie's research program include novel solution-processable semiconductors and their applications in printed electronics. In collaboration with colleague Prof. Lorraine Francis his group is developing new roll-to-roll, high precision coating and printing processes to making large area flexible circuitry, i.e., "plastic electronics", with applications in distributed sensing, displays, and e-skins, for example. More fundamental work centers on understanding electrical transport mechanisms in novel semiconductors, particularly organic semiconductors. |
| Wayne | Gladfelter | NMP | Atomic layer deposition provides a valuable approach for the preparation of conformal thin films of a wide range of inorganic and mixed organic/inorganic materials. Current focus is on developing ALD methods to deposit multimetallic films where chemical selectivity can be used to control the film stoichiometry. Specific applications are for thin film photovoltaics. We are also examining the deposition mechanisms of ALD processes that use ozone as the source of oxygen in metal oxide films. |
| Ben | Hackel | 4D | Protein engineering |
| Greg | Haugstad | NMP | Develop multi-technique analytical approaches: (1) Correlative methods to probe nano- to micro-scale structures (e.g., phase segregation, crystallinity); (2) variable temperature, humidity or liquid immersion analysis of soft films (synthetic or biological); (3) mechanical and tribological response (friction/wear/lubrication) via scanning probe methods. |
| Christy | Haynes | NMP | Porous and plasmonic nanomaterials, nanoparticle toxicity |
| Marc | Hillmyer | MP | Focused on the design, synthesis, characterization, and applications of advanced macromolecular materials. Spotlight areas of research include the development of sustainable polymers from renewable resources and hybrid macromolecular structures that combine disparate polymeric elements into a single compound. Ultimately, we aim to combine contemporary polymer synthesis with detailed molecular, morphological and property characterization to expand knowledge of fundamental polymer science and advance new technologies. |
| Russell | Holmes | OM Program Leader | Research is primarily focused on the study of thin films organic and hybrid organic-inorganic materials. We are specifically interested in how these materials behave from a growth standpoint, the characterization of their optical and electrical properties, and their performance in optoelectronic devices such as small molecule organic solar cells. |
| Wei-Shou | Hu | 4D | Systems biotechnology, biochemical engineering, cell culture bioprocessing, stem cell technology |
| Satish | Kumar | CPF | Our research involves integration of transport phenomena, colloid and interface science, rheology, applied and computational mathematics, and experiments to address fundamental issues in materials processing . Areas of interest include coating and printing processes, polymer processing, nanofluidics/microfluidics, and energy. |
| Jessica | Lamb | MP | Applying catalysis and physical organic techniques to the synthesis of new polymers and small molecules. |
| Sungyon | Lee | CPF | Specializing in uncovering the fundamental physical mechanisms behind complex phenomena in fluid mechanics. Key research areas comprise the fundamental investigation of (1) interfacial dynamics of suspension flows, (2) inertia-driven droplets, (3) two-phase flows through porous media, and (4) dynamics of particle rafts. |
| Tim | Lodge | MP | Structure and dynamics of polymer liquids, including solutions, melts, blends, and block copolymers, with particular emphasis on self-assembling systems, using rheological, scattering, and microscopy thechniques. |
| Matt | Neurock | 4D | Computational chemistry |
| Chris | Macosko | MP | Our research focuses on using flow and chemical reactions to create new multiphase nano- and micro-structured polymeric materials. |
| Mahesh | Mahanthappa | MP | Research focuses on the synthesis, microstructural characterization, physical properties, and applications of block copolymers and related surfactants derived from cheap and environmentally benign sources |
| Nathan | Mara | 4D | Mechanical behavior of materials under extreme conditions |
| Alon | McCormick | NMP | Research in nanostructure formation and self-assembly, curing in coating processes, and use of sorption in hybrid reactors. |
| David | Morse | MP | Research in our group aims to improve fundamental theoretical understanding of the properties of polymer materials and other complex fluids. We use a combination of analytic statistical mechanics, numerical solution of approximate theories, and molecular simulation. Much of our recent work has focused on: (i) self-assembled equilibrium structures of systems that contain block copolymers, (ii) effects of composition fluctuations in polymer blends and block copolymer melts, and (iii) the dynamics and rheology of liquids containing polymers with stiff backbones. |
| R. Lee | Penn | NMP | Elucidating fundamental aggregation and crystal growth mechanisms; Characterizing chemical reactivity and materials properties of natural and synthetic nanoparticles; and Designing and implementing effective curriculum to strengthen and improve middle school students’ understanding of nanotechnology and the atomic structure of solid materials. |
| David | Poerschke | 4D | Design of materials for complex environments |
| Theresa | Reineke | MP, 4D | Synthesis and characterization of functional polymeric materials focused in three main areas: 1) the development of polycations and characterization of their assembly with polyanions (i.e. materials for the delivery of nucleic acids); 2) the design and examination of new polymers that form higher ordered structures (i.e. excipients for small molecule drugs), and 3) the synthesis and property examination of sustainable polymers from natural product building blocks for a variety of applications. |
| Srinivas | Rangarajan | 4D | Reaction modeling |
| Paul | Ruden | OM | Research is directed towards the physics of novel semiconductor materials and devices. The work extends from the analysis of the properties of electronic materials and new device concepts to the development of analytical and numerical models. |
| Sapna | Sarupria | 4D | Expertise in molecular modeling and simulation. |
| Wei | Shen | BPM | Engineering of biomaterials and cellular microenvironments, cell-environment interactions and biomolecular engineering and developing a platform of engineered nanomaterials that undergo in situ assembly when interacting with their targets. One application of these materials is anti-viral therapy. |
| Ron | Siegel Program Leader | BPM | Drug delivery, biosensing, polymer science, hydrogels, micro- and nanofabrication, intranasal formulations, mathematical modeling. |
| J. Ilja | Siepmann | NMP 4D | We focus on understanding how molecular architecture and composition influence structure, phase behavior and function of the system of interest. The challenge of molecular simulation is the ability to make thermodynamic predictions that are both accurate and precise . |
| Andreas | Stein | NMP | Porous and nanostructure synthesis; polymer-clay and polymer-graphene nanocomposites; elcetrical energy storage materials; catalyst materials; and photonic crystals. |
| Calvin | Sun | BPM | Our research focuses on manufacturing science of solid dosage forms, such as tablets and capsules. Formulation and process development is achieved by a clear scientific understanding of powders, including their flow and compaction properties. |
| Raj | Suryanarayanan | BPM | Current research interests are in the following areas: (1) Monitor phase transitions during the entire freeze-drying cycle using specialinstrumentation built in-house. The ultimate goal is the optimization of the freeze-drying cycles of protein pharmaceuticals. (2) Simultaneous quantification of reactant, product, and intermediate phases of very rapid reactions (time resolution of 40 msec) using high intensity X-rays. (3) Use of a microdiffractometer to map tablet surfaces and also to characterize specific regions of a powder bed (or of a tablet). (4) Identify new excipients or modify the physical state of current excipients with the object of expanding their utility in freeze-dried formulations. |
| Ellad | Tadmor | 4D | Molecular/multiscale modeling of nanomaterials and materials informatics |
| Robert | Tranquillo | BPM | Fibrin-based cardiovascular tissue engineering--fabrication and functional characterization of small diameter vascular grafts, cardiovascular valves, and myocardium, including creation of a perfusable microvascular network--all from cell remodeling of fibrin. Cell-matrix mechanical interactions and associated contact guidance. |
| Lynn | Walker | NMP | Processing soft materials and complex fluids; Formulation engineering for sustainability |
| Chun | Wang | BPM | We are interested in developing polymeric biomaterials for biomedical applications including gene and drug delivery, cancer immunotherapy and vaccines, and stem cell therapy. |
| Joseph | Zasadzinski | NMP | Research deals primarily with experimental investigations of the relationships between structure, composition and function at the molecular scale in complex or self-assembling fluids using optical, electron, and scanning probe microscopies. |
| Qi | Zhang | 4D | Optimization and systems engineering |