Polymer Science Podcast

Welcome back everyone! Please enjoy this jovial interview with Dr. Yoan Simon, Associate Professor of Polymer Science with the Biodesign Center for Sustainable Macromolecular Materials and Manufacturing at Arizona State University. Do you have any questions, comments, or feedback for the show? Please reach out to us at PolymerSciencePodcast@gmail.com #Polymers #PolymerScience #Engineering #USM #AS...

Today we listen to Julia Wright, who is a fascinating and unique guest to have on our show! In this episode we learn all about the Loom and what goes into the art of weaving. She is a contemporary textile artist and engineer currently based in Ithaca, NY while working in the biomedical textile engineering field. She received her Bachelors in Fine Arts for Textiles with a focus on weaving from the...

In this interview from November 2022, Dr. Frank Leibfarth discusses the exciting research coming from his group. Dr. Leibfarth cultivated a passion for organic synthetic polymer chemistry, and utilizes his many talents and excellent leadership to guide his group toward the production of sustainable polymer materials.   Papers discussed in this interview: "Diversification of Aliphatic C-H Bonds in...

We are back! Again! Much has changed since I've last been able to post an episode, but the wonders of polymer science continue propagating!  In this interview we hear from Dr. Kevin Wyss, who earned his PhD during August of 2023 from Rice University. Dr. Wyss has since taken his incredible talents with him to Schlumberger, advancing the frontier of sustainable materials. Tune in to the show to lea...

In this episode, we listen to Joe Mwakiremba, a hardworking and passionate sales representative for Ocean Sole in Kenya, talk about how they are upcycling trashed flip-flop while simultaneously cleaning up the environment and creating stable jobs for many people. Check out these links to YouTube and watch these flip-flops being turned into amazing sculptures! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK-BHZ...

Today I spoke to Dr Mapula about patents, polymers in wound healing treatment, medicinal plants and empowering women in science particularly in Africa. She is a warm, kind and self driven biomedical researcher and entrepreneur with comprehensive accomplishment in clinical research and tissue engineering.   Please check her page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-mapula-razwinani-17ba6655/...

Dr. Boran “Bo” Ma established the Ma Research Lab in January 2023 in the School of Polymer Science and Engineering at the University of Southern Mississippi. Prior to joining the SPSE, Dr. Bo was a postdoctoral associate at Duke University. She received her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University in 2019 and her BEng in Materials Science and Engineering from Harbin In...

Today we are talking to Gregory Parisi about harvesting water in variable humidity conditions studying specifically the wetting properties of electrospun polymer materials.  Gregory is a PhD student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and worked as a Fulbright fellow at the AGH-UST Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science in Poland with Urszula Stachewicz, a previous guest on...

In this episode we talk to Adam Hecht, Co-Founder, Designer and Director of Additive Manufacturing at DiveDesign. He tells us more about what goes into running a 3D company and all the products that they are currently making. He also have some amazing collaborations and interesting projects, from turning trash from the ocean into furniture to helping disabled ducks, dogs and even a Elephant!   Hop...

In this episode we listen to Dr Aurelien Forget talk about his work and research interests. He also shares details about a fun and educative card game that he developed called Macromolecular Games: A Free Radical Polymerization Card Game. This card game is made for anyone that wish to understand polymerization and can even be customized with you own logo or tag that you would like displayed on the...

Dr. Tristan Clemons is an Assistant Professor at the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Clemons established his lab at USM in 2021 and quickly started exciting research in Soft Matter Science. The Clemons group is multidisciplinary in nature, firmly embedded at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and engineering. His research efforts are aimed at the interface of synthetic and biological...

Dr. Katrina Knauer is the Chief Technology Officer of the BOTTLE Consortium at the National Renewable Energy Laboratories near Denver, Colorado. BOTTLE (Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment) is a U.S. Department of Energy multi-organization consortium focused on developing new chemical upcycling strategies for today's plastics and redesigning tomor...

Dr. Barney Grubbs discusses with Jacob the importance of controllably degradable polymers and their significance in improving material sustainability. Dr. Grubbs also talks about his academic journey, taking us all around the United States as he shares his exciting research! The Grubbs research group investigates questions addressing the common ground shared by polymer, organic, and materials chem...

Ingmar Van Hengel is a PhD candidate at Delft University in Biomedical Engineering. He also has a mind for business when he created his first startup company called SkinPrint for the treatment of burn wounds using bioprinting to develop skin using the patient's cells and biocompatible natural polymer materials. He then shifted his focus to developing multifunctional 3D implants for orthopedic pati...

Dr. Brooks Abel is an assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where the Abel group conducts research at the interfaces of polymer organic chemistry, catalysis, and materials science. Dr. Brooks and his group pursue application-driven polymer chemistry, where the desired chemical identity, physical properties, and end-use of the polymer materials are used to guide the develop...

Today we are talking to Dr Laura Frazier, Chief Scientist of TaikiUSA, and Dr Megan Coates, R&D manager at the Stellenbosch Nanofiber Company, about their collaboration and creation of Bōshi Beauty nanofiber-based product line. Stellenbosch Nanofiber Company has been developing nanofiber-based products, including advanced wound dressings, tissue engineering scaffolds and cosmetic products. TaikiUS...

Hello everyone! Alicia, here! So at the time of this recording I am approximately 38 weeks pregnant and a little sick as you could probably tell from my voice. This means that I am now on maternity leave while you are listening to this episode and taking care of our newborn! Nonetheless the show goes on! And I am happy to say that our Podcast team has grown. You will be introduced to our new co-ho...

In this episode we hear from Dr. Benjamin Alameda, a brand new PhD graduate from the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Alameda specializes in the design, fabrication, and characterization of polymer networks that degrade in the presence of different external stimuli. As we continue to mold the future of plastics toward more environmentally friendly designs, we need to consider the "cradle-to...

In this episode we hear from Dr. Christoph Herfurth, a researcher from Fraunhofer. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft based in Germany is the world’s leading applied research organization. Prioritizing key future-relevant technologies and commercializing its findings in business and industry, it plays a major role in the innovation process. A trailblazer and trendsetter in innovative developments and res...

In this episode we are talking to Tshepo Mangoele, CEO and Founder of LignOrganic (PTY) Ltd. This company is the first in Africa to produce Sulphur-free Lignin, a natural polymer with endless possibilities and applications! Tshepo is a Chemical Engineer with a vision to make environmentally-friendly biomaterials and sustainable products the new normal in markets for cosmetics, packaging, agricultu...

Hello and welcome, everyone, to the Polymer Science Podcast's last episode for 2021!   In this episode we’ll be listening to my interview with Dr. Hyunwoo Yuk, an outstanding research scientist of mechanical and biomedical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I reached out to Dr. Yuk after finding his work on the development of a particularly interesting surgical glue – this g...

My co-host Jacob Schekman and I had our very first interview as a duo! Together, we had a very enlightening conversation with Dr Monika Snowdon about her PhD work, the projects she is currently busy with, and we learned more about her very own Podcast show, called the IMNano podcast, which she hosts with her co-host, Irfani! Monika obtained her doctorate in chemistry from the University of Waterlo...

In this episode, Dr. Pojman talks with Jacob about the unique reaction properties of frontal polymerization and the serendipity within his research that led to his production and international distribution of QuickCure Clay. Pojman Polymer Products, LLC, licensed QuickCure Clay to Ranger industries, which produces and distributes the material around the world. No mixing, no kiln… just mold and hea...

Today is a special episode where I catch up with an old Stellenbosch University colleague of mine, Dr Jacquin October. He is a very impressive and dedicated Postdoctoral Researcher at Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion. We talked about his move from South Africa to Germany and what that entails. We also discussed the applications and necessity for studies from his previous Ph. D....

It is a week after the Closing Ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games, and it is amazing to be able to reflect on the revolutionary technology that we currently have available due to the dedicated mechanical engineers and scientists that are focusing their efforts on providing sustainable and convenient tools to improve society. In Japan, we saw the effective use of bullet trains for quick trans...