Chinedum Osuji Awarded 2015 John H. Dillon Medal

Associate professor of chemical & environmental engineering Chinedum Osuji has been awarded The American Physical Society's 2015 John H. Dillon Medal for “fundamental insights into block copolymer self-assembly under applied fields.” Accompanied by a cash prize of $2,000, the Medal recognizes outstanding research accomplishments by young polymer physicists who have demonstrated exceptional research promise early in their careers.

While centered on fundamental experimental studies of the structure and dynamics of polymers and complex fluids, Osuji’s lab has maintained a particular focus on directed self-assembly of block copolymers, including the study of field-matter interactions that can be used to control the ordering process of block copolymers. His efforts have included studies on shear flow and magnetic field interactions with liquid crystalline block copolymers. More recently, he has been working on electrospray deposition of block copolymer thin films as a way to achieve continuous growth of films with either substrate-equilibrated or kinetically-dictated morphologies.

Ultimately, Osuji’s research group is motivated by the potential to develop novel functional materials and devices with potential applications in clean water and clean energy generation.

The John H. Dillon Medal is sponsored by Elsevier Science, publishers of the journal Polymer. The Dillon Medal will be presented at The American Physical Society's March 2015 meeting in San Antonio, TX at a special ceremonial session.