Polymer Materials Engineering : Polymer Science and Engineering : UMass Amherst

Harry Bermudez

Associate Professor

At the intersection of materials science and biotechnology, we exploit various forms of self-assembly towards achieving desirable properties of proteins, nucleic acids, and surfactants.

Alfred J Crosby

Professor & Department Head

The Crosby Research Group investigates how soft materials store, dissipate, and transmit energy across multiple length scales. Our work combines mechanics, polymer science, and materials design to understand how interactions occurring at the molecular and microscale levels influence macroscopic behavior. By studying systems ranging from adhesives and gels to bioinspired surfaces and mechanical metamaterials, we uncover fundamental design principles that govern deformation, adhesion, fracture, impact mitigation, and shape change. Work spans four interconnected research areas: hierarchical adhesion and friction control, mechanics of gels, tissues, and thin films, impulsive deformations and dynamic instabilities, and growth and assembly of materials. Across these areas, we develop materials that leverage structure, mechanics, and dynamic interactions to achieve functionalities that cannot be predicted from material composition alone.

Steve Granick

Robert K. Barrett Professor

Current research projects include active polymers, molecules in extreme environments, biological intelligence and memory of non-neural cells.

David Hoagland

Professor

Projects in the Hoagland group examine polymer structure and dynamics in these materials using a range of experimental methods. The typical goal is to understand the behaviors of individual polymer molecules, i.e., their average conformation, where and how they move, or how rapidly they deform/recover when challenged with an external force.

Reika Katsumata

Associate Professor/ Grad Program Director

At the intersection of chemical engineering and materials science, Katsumata Research Group procures material performance otherwise impossible by “vaporization” of fundamental science and “condensation” of real-world problems, nurtured by education and mentoring.

Alan Lesser

Professor

The goal of our research group is to develop a new set of theoretical and experimental tools that enable the streamlined design, optimization, selection, and evaluation of polymeric materials for such applications. The research initiatives in our group focus on determining what basic molecular, morphological, and physical characteristics govern the engineering performance of polymers and polymer-based composites.

Melody Morris

Assistant Professor

The Morris group will engineer sustainable macromolecular materials to enable next-generation biomaterials, nanoreactors, and membranes, via automated and high-throughput tool development combined with multiscale physical characterization. The longevity and stability of most synthetic polymers has proven to be a major bottleneck in creating a sustainable materials world.

Thomas Russell

Silvio O. Conte Distinguished Professor

We have been recently focusing on the role of chain architecture on the lateral ordering and minimizing the size scale of the microdomains to the single nanometer level. Our efforts on the interfacial activity of nanoparticles aim to achieve multi-length scale assemblies of nanoparticles are pioneering a platform for encapsulation and diffusion barriers.

Maria Santore

Professor

Discovering mechanisms for adhesion, lubrication, assembly, response, and reconfiguration in soft material systems, focusing on the dynamic interactions of polymers, biomolecules, nanoparticles, colloids, and cells. Coupling material interactions with flow and deformation to control structures and dynamics. Translating new interfacial mechanisms to the application-specific design of responsive / active interfacial materials

James Watkins

Eugene M. and Ronnie Isenberg Professor of Integrative Science
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement

We develop, characterize and utilize nanoscale and hybrid materials for the fabrication of devices that exploit the unique properties of the materials that we create. Our approaches include direct imprint patterning of device structures using nanoparticle-based inks, additive driven self-assembly with brush block copolymers and other templates in which interactions among each of the components are designed to overcome barriers to creating well-ordered systems, materials chemistry through photothermal processing and the creation of large area nanostructured materials and devices through scalable manufacturing approaches, including roll-to-roll process platforms.