The students, Matthew E. Helgeson and Le Zhang, were selected to make presentations during the Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research Symposium, held as part of the ACS meeting.
Helgeson, who is working toward his doctorate in the College of Engineering, made a presentation on “Formation and Mechanics of Electrospun Polymer Jets.”
Helgeson conducts research as part of a group led by Norman Wagner, Alvin B. and Julia O. Stiles Professor of Chemical Engineering. The group is studying the microstructure and dynamics of a variety of materials, including surfactants, colloids, polymers and nanostructured materials.
"National recognition by the American Chemical Society for research excellence in polymer science further confirms UD's status as a world-class institution for teaching and research in polymer science and engineering,” Wagner said. “Matt truly deserves this award, and the other faculty, graduate students and undergraduates who have worked with him in the laboratory can also take pride in his achievements. "
Zhang, also a doctoral student in engineering, made a presentation on “Noncovalent Assembly of Erodible Drug-Delivery Matrices Based on Polysaccaride-Peptide Interactions.”
Zhang works in a research group led by Kristi Kiick, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, and on a project funded by the National Institutes of Health that is a close collaboration between the Kiick group and a research group led by Eric Furst, assistant professor of chemical engineering.
“We are delighted by the recognition of Le's work by the American Chemical Society Polymer Chemistry Division,” Kiick said. “Le has developed hydrogels that assemble on the basis of biologically relevant interactions and that can deliver therapeutic proteins at rates that are controlled by these interactions. The award recognizes Le's hard work and contributions to this project area, and I think signifies continued interest by the scientific community in biologically-responsive materials.”
Kiick added, “Having the work publicly recognized is an honor for Le and our research group, and also helps to highlight the excellent polymer research underway in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. That there were two graduate students from the University of Delaware so honored is a strong endorsement of the University's research efforts in polymer science, as well."
Article by Neil Thomas