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Who are we ?
We are an interdisciplinary group of scientists who share a common interest in the chemical and physical properties of surfaces and interfaces. Current students in the group have interests in analytical, materials, physical, and biological chemistry, and materials science.
What do we do ?
Our interests are primarily in the area of surface and interface chemistry, especially interfaces between inorganic materials (silicon, diamond, nanotubes, nanowires) and organic / biological molecules. Much of our research lies at the intersection of microelectronics, nanotechnology, and biotechnology. We have a strong effort in the synthesis, functionalization, and manipulation of nanomaterials.
How do we do it ?
We use a wide range of surface-sensitive experimental methods, including (but not limited to) X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, electrochemistry, impedance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and a variety of chemical and biochemical synthetic methods.
What research projects are we current working on?
We currently have a number of major reseearch projects. Please visit the research section to learn more about them.
Who funds our research?
Much our our research is funded by research grants from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. We have strong industrial collaborations with IBM Corporation, Smiths Detection/Sensir Technologies, and GenTel BioSurfaces.
Where do we publish the results of our research?
We have published more than 185 scientific papers in a wide range of chemistry, physics, and biology journals. You can see a list of publications with pdf's on our web site. Very recent publications (submitted or not yet published) may not be listed yet.
Who reads our papers?
Lots of people! According to the Institute of Scientific Information, we are one of the most highly cited (referenced) research group in the world, with more than 5,700 citations in the scientific literature to group publications; this places us in the top 0.5% of all publishing scientific groups. The ISI classifies our research as "Materials Science".
How long does it take to get a Ph.D. degree in the group?
Time to graduation is not fixed, but varies depending on the project and the abilities of the student. Typical time to graduation is 4.5 years start-to-finish. The historical range is from 3.5 years to 5.5 years.
How many students have graduated from the group?
As of January 2007, 23 students have received their Ph.D. in our group, along with a number of students jointly supervised with other groups. This number includes 9 females and 10 males. A list of alumni can be found here.
Where do students go after they graduate?
Gradutes from the group are well equipped for research and teaching positions in industry, government, and academia and have been very successful competing in the job market. Some recent graduates and current positions include: Beth Nichols (Dow Chemical), Sarah Baker (UC-San Diego), Tami Lasseter Clare (Univ. of Pennsylvania), Wensha Yang (University of Virginia), Wei Cai (General Electric R&D), Bo Hu (General Electric R&D), Christina Hacker (NIST - National Institute of Standards and Technology) Mike Schwartz (Univ. of Colorado), Liang Fang (Postdoc, Miguel Salmeron, Berkeley) Xiaoping Cao (Pfizer Corp.) Molly McGuire (Assistant Prof, Bucknell University) Sarah Coulter (Air Products Corp. ) Mark Ellison (Assistant Prof, Wittenberg College) Jennifer Hovis (Assistant Professor, Purdue University), Hongbing Liu (General Nanotechnology, Inc.), and Ernie Frank (Dow Chemical)
Where can I learn more?
To learn more about what we do and about research opportunities, please contact us directly.
