Faculty Members
AMSEC's faculty associates include nationally recognized experts in a wide range of disciplines and research areas.
Faculty members are nominated and selected for four-year terms.
The Director is nominated and selected for two-to-four-year terms.
AMSEC Director
Ying Bao, Associate Professor of Analytical Chemistry
Term:
2025 - Present
Current Membership
Ying Bao
Associate Professor of Analytical Chemistry and Director of AMSEC
Research Area: Synthesis and surface modification of nanoparticles.
Robert Berger
Professor of Computational Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry
Research Area: Using computation to design and understand the structural and electronic properties of novel metal oxide materials.
Mark Bussell
Professor of Physical & Materials Chemistry
Research Area: Surface and materials chemistry, with an emphasis on the development of new heterogeneous catalysts for the production of clean fuels.
Steven Emory
Professor of Analytical Chemistry & Director of Scientific Technical Services
Research Area: Characterization and use of novel metal and semiconductor nanomaterials in the development of new ultrasensitive chemical methods of detection and identification.
Milton From
Associate Professor of Physics
Research Area: Magnetic and optical properties of thin films.
Peng Gao
Assistant Professor of Polymer Materials Engineering
Research Area: Performances of bio-based polymer materials; Innovation in Injection Molding Processes and Control Methods; Morphology and Crystallization of Polymer Materials; Upcycling of Plastic Secondary Feedstocks; Manufacturing of Micro- and Nano-scale Surface Features; Performance Enhancements for 3D Printed Products
John Gilbertson
Professor of Inorganic Chemistry
Research Area: Scientific problems dealing with global climate change and CO2 utilization.
Deborah Glosser
Assistant Professor of Engineering
Research Area: Thermodynamics of materials, heat transfer, sustainable cement
Tim Kowalczyk
Professor of Physical and Computational Chemistry
Research Area: Organic materials that combine light-absorbing and electrically conducting components in a single package.
Mike Larsen
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Research Area: Molecular structure of polymers to enable new applications.
Nicole Larson
Professor of Polymer Materials Engineering
Research Area: New product development and testing.
Stephen McDowall
Professor of Mathematics
Research Area: Inverse problems in partial differential equations.
G McGrew
Instructor of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Materials Science
Research Area: Organometallic chemistry; catalysis; behavior of asymmetric organolithium compounds; chemistry education
John Misasi
Associate Professor of Polymer Materials Engineering
Research Area: Scalable synthesis of recyclable thermosetting polymers for composite matrices, with a focus on understanding network material properties and degradation pathways and products.
Sean Mulcahy
Associate Professor of Geology
Research Area: Mineral chemistry and geochronology to understand how plate boundaries and mountain belts form and evolve.
Amanda Murphy
Director, Professor of Materials & Organic Chemistry
Research Area: Broadly interested in tailoring the molecular structure of conjugated organic polymers in order to control the fundamental properties of the bulk materials.
Gregory O'Neil
Professor of Organic Chemistry
Research Area: Enantioselective synthesis of biologically and environmentally compelling natural products that includes development and target-oriented synthesis projects; algal biofuel-related research.
Armin Rahmani
Associate Professor of Physics
Research Area: Theoretical quantum condensed matter physics and quantum information processing.
Melissa Rice
Associate Professor of Geology & Physics
Research Area: Planetary geology, remote sensing, robotic space exploration.
David Rider
Professor of Materials Chemistry and Engineering & Design
Research Area: The design, synthesis and self-assembly of organic and inorganic semiconductors for applications in nanotechnology and materials science.
Andreas Riemann
Professor of Physics
Research Area: Fabrication and characterization of nanostructures and ultrathin films on surfaces.
Mai Sas
Geochemistry Research Associate
Research Area: Volcanic rock microanalysis to decipher magma origins. LA-ICP-MS specialist.
Margaret Scheuermann
Associate Professor of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry
Research Area: Organometallic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, synthesis, characterization, reactivity, mechanism, catalysis.
Takele Seda
Professor of Physics
Research Area: Magnetic and electronic properties of iron bearing materials and minerals.
Peter M.A. Sherwood
Affiliate Professor of Chemistry & Physics
Research Area: Surface analysis (especially X ray photoelectron spectroscopy) of materials with a particular interest in electrode surfaces, corrosion systems, and carbon fiber and composite surfaces.
Ruth Sofield
Professor of Environmental Sciences
Research Area: Bioavailability, freshwater and marine ecotoxicity, and chemistry of environmental contaminants, including metals, PAHs, and Contaminants of Emerging Concern.
James Vyvyan
Professor of Organic Chemistry
Research Area: The broad field of synthetic chemistry with detailed analysis of NMR spectra to characterize new compounds and assign relative stereochemistry.
Kristina Walowski
Assistant Professor of Geology
Research Area: Magmatic processes from magma reservoir evolution and eruption dynamics, to mantle melting and the chemical evolution of Earth's interior.