Biography
I did my doctoral work with Kevin Dorfman in the Chemical Engineering and Materials Science department at the University of Minnesota, where I developed codes for Monte Carlo and Brownian Dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained model of DNA. We subsequently used these tools to address a number of fundamental questions in polymer physics with specific applications for genomic mapping technologies. Following my PhD, I moved to the Materials Research Laboratory at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where I worked with Glenn Fredrickson. In Santa Barbara I worked to create a simulation framework for dynamic phase field models for studying the evolution of the microstructure of polymeric materials. We used this software to study the microstructure of polymer membranes made by so-called phase inversion techniques.
Research Interests
I am interested in a number of problems in soft matter and complex fluids, with an emphasis in problems with a novel theoretical or computational component. I am currently working on projects related to polymer crystallization, nonsolvent induced phase separation, colloidal chemohydrodynamics, controlled self-assembly, and active self-assembly of polymers and lipids.Teaching Interests
At the undergraduate level, I enjoy teaching "fundamentals" classes in our discipline like Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics as well as subjects related to my research, including Numerical Methods and Materials Science. At a graduate level, I am interested in teaching courses on polymers, transport phenomena, statistical mechanics, and engineering mathematics.Education
- Doctor of Philosophy, Chemical Engineering , University of Minnesota (2014)
- Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering , Brigham Young Universitiy (2009)
Honors and Awards
- CAREER Award, National Science Foundation, Division of Materials Research (2024 - 2029)
- Soft Matter Emerging Investigator, RSC Soft Matter (2021 - 2021)
- Doctoral New Investigator Award, American Chemical Society, Petroleum Research Fund (2018 - 2020)
- Best Presentation Award, 01J Complex Fluids: Macromolecules, AICHE Annual Meeting (2018 - 2018)
- Journal of Polymer Science Poster Prize, Kramer Memorial Conferece, University of California Santa Barbara (2016 - 2016)
- Finalist, APS Padden Award, American Physical Society, Division of Polymer Physics (2014 - 2014)
- University of Minnesota Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, University of Minnesota (2013 - 2014)
- Honorable Mention, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, National Science Foundation (2011 - 2011)
Memberships
- American Physical Society (2011 - Present)
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers (2007 - Present)
- American Chemical Society (2019 - 2021)
- Society of Rheology (2017 - 2019)
- American Electrophoresis Soceity (2011 - 2014)