Alumni of the Torkelson Research Group
(also known as the Polymer Crew)
Ph.D. Students Graduated
2007
Manish K. Mundra - Materials Science and Engineering
"The Effect of Nanoconfinement on the Glass Transition Temperature (Tg) and Mobility Associated with Diffusion in Polymer Films: A Fluorescence Study"
Jungki Kim - Chemical Engineering
"Investigation on the Synthesis, Characterization and Application of a New Type of Copolymer: Gradient Copolymers Made by Controlled Radical Polymerization"
2006
Ying Tao - Chemical Engineering
"An Innovative Polymer Processing Method, Solid-State Shear Pulverization (SSSP): Intimate Mixing, Compatibilization, and Basic Understanding of the Process"
2005
Christopher J. Ellison - Chemical Engineering
"Probing the Distribution of Glass Transition Temperatures and Related Relaxation Behavior in Thin and Ultrathin Polymer Films Using Novel Fluorescence Approaches"
2004
Maisha K. Gray - Materials Science and Engineering
"Exploiting Nitroxide-Mediated Controlled Radical Polymerization: Synthesis of Polymeric Materials and Development of a Novel Method for Study and Application of Diffusion-Controlled Reactions"
2003
Andrew H. Lebovitz - Chemical Engineering
"Intimate Mixing and In Situ Compatibilization of Immiscible Polymer Blends via an Innovative Process: Solid-State Shear Pulverization"
2002
Brian P. Chekal - Chemical Engineering
"Understanding the Roles of Chemically Controlled and Diffusion-Limited Processes in Determining the Severity of Autoacceleration Behavior in Free Radical Polymerization"
Jason C. Quirin - Chemical Engineering
"Fluorescence Sensor Techniques to Examine Heterogeneity in Polymer Systems from the Macroscale to the Nanoscale"
2001
Manisha Ganglani - Materials Science and Engineering (co-advised with Prof. S. Carr)
"Influence of Cure via Network Structure on the Mechanical Properties of a Free-Radical Polymerizing Thermoset"
1999
David B. Hall - Chemical Engineering
"Experimental Studies of Relaxation Phenomena and Diffusion in Thin and Ultrathin Polymer Films"
1998
Gregory A. O'Neil - Chemical Engineering
"An Examination of the Cause of the Gel Effect in Free Radical Polymerization"
1997
Christopher K. Haas - Chemical Engineering
"Coarsening in 2D and 3D Phase-Separated Polymer Solutions: Implications for Microporous Membrane Morphology"
1996
Keith E. Miller - Chemical Engineering
"Quantitative, In Situ Fluorescence Monitoring of Small-Molecule Sorption in Polymer Coatings"
Kenneth E. Hamilton - Chemical Engineering
"Polymer a-Relaxation Dynamics and Chain Segmental Cooperativity as Monitored by Chromophore Motions and Second Harmonic Generation"
Jacob C. Hooker - Materials Science and Engineering
"Complementary Optical Techniques as a Means of Monitoring Relaxation Processes in Amorphous Polymers"
Denise D. Deppe - Materials Science and Engineering
"Investigation of Small Molecule Diffusion in Thin Polymer Films Using Fluorescence Nonradiative Energy Transfer"
Marc B. Wisnudel - Chemical Engineering
"Investigation of Free Volume Theory and Autoacceleration in Radical Polymerization by Use of Diffusion- Limited Photophysical Interactions in Polymer Solutions"
1995
Donald C. Davis - Chemical Engineering (co-advised with Prof. M. Petrich)
"Fundamental Investigations of the Physical Aging and Glass Transition of Amorphous Polymers"
1994
Ali Dhinojwala - Chemical Engineering
"Second Harmonic and Its Relationship to Basic Polymer Physics"
Daniel Boggs - Chemical Engineering
"Diffusive Transport in Membranes for Immunoisolation"
Seung-won Song (now Chris Song) - Chemical Engineering
"Coarsening Effects on Microstructure Formation in Polymer Membranes Produced via Themally Induced Phase Separation"
Alice S. Mendelsohn - Materials Science and Engineering (co-advised with Prof. M. Olvera)
"Investigation of Correlations in Polymer Melts, Blends, and Semi-dilute Solution by Fluorescence Nonradiative Energy Transfer Techniques"
1992
J. Scot Royal - Materials Science and Engineering
"Amorphous Polymer Relaxations Monitored on the Molecular Scale with Photochromic and Fluorescent Probe Molecules"
Lora L. Spangler - Chemical Engineering
"Investigation of Diffusional Processes in Thin Polymer Films Utilizing Novel Fluorescence Techniques"
1991
Linda S. Flosenzier - Chemical Engineering
"The Structure-Property Relationship of Polymer Blends Containing Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene Triblock Copolymers"
Sunny Shen - Chemical Engineering
"Synthesis and Application of a Novel Photoresponsive Polymer in Controlling Solubility, Miscibility and Volume upon Photoirradiation"
Mark S. Gebert - Chemical Engineering
"Diffusion-Limited Interactions in Polymer Solutions: A Study of Polymer-Small Molecule and Polymer-Polymer Interactions Using Phosphorescence Quenching"
1990
Fu-Jya Tsai (now Daniel Tsai) - Chemical Engineering
"Asymmetric Polymeric Membranes: On Their Formation by Thermally Induced Phase Separation and the Development of Photoresponsive Composite Membranes"
Hilary Hampsch (now Lackritz) - Materials Science and Engineering
"Dopant Orientation and Second Order Nonlinear Optical Properties of Doped Amorphous Polymers"
Scott Lindsey - Materials Science and Engineering (did 2 years of advising after a professor retired)
"Charge and Mass Transport in the Ionically Conducting Polymer Poly(propylene oxide-lithium triflate)"
1988
Daniel H.-S. Yu - Chemical Engineering
"Small Molecule-Small Molecule Diffusion-Limited Interactions in Polymer Solutions Studied by Phosphorescence Quenching and Free-Volume Theory"
John G. Victor - Chemical Engineering
"Photochromic Molecular Probes of Local Free Volume in Polymer Glasses: A New Approach to the Study of Physical Aging"
Michael D. Major - Chemical Engineering
"An Examination of the Organization of Block Copolymer Containing Systems by Fluorescence Spectroscopy"
1987
Paul N. Georgelos - Chemical Engineering
"On Determining the Origin of the Non-Newtonian Effects Which Dilute Solutions Exhibit in Extensional Flow"
M.S. Students Graduated
2007
Christopher L. H. Wong - Materials Science and Engineering
"Gradient Copolymers: Their Self-Assembly in Homopolymers and Thermal Behavior"
2004
Bryce A. Jones - Chemical Engineering
"Pyrene-Ene-Labeled Polydimethylsiloxane: A Model Associative Polymer System"
1999
Naomi Furgiuele - Chemical Engineering
"Solid-state Shear Pulverization: A Novel Technique for Mixing and Compatibilizing Polymer Blends"
Manisha Singh - Materials Science and Engineering
"Mechanochemical Alteration of Ethylene Copolymers"
Mireya Garcia - Materials Science and Engineering
"Gradient Copolymer Synthesis via “Living” Free Radical Polymerization"
1997
Fabrizio Meli - Chemical Engineering
"Studies of the Gel Effect and Conversion Monitoring in the Bulk Free Radical Polymerization of Vinyl Acetate"
1993
Keith E. Miller - Chemical Engineering
"In Situ Monitoring of Methyl Methacrylate Polymerization by Fluorescence Quenching of Fluorene"
1992
John Goldstein - Mechanical Engineering (supervised for seven months after death of original advisor)
"Weight Gain Studies of Contaminants in Poly(ethylene terephthalate)
1988
Madeleine Biber - Materials Science and Engineering
"Physical Properties of Glassy Polymers: Low Molecular Weight Polystyrenes and Their Blends"
1987
Jeffrey Gerth - Chemical Engineering
"Studies of Photoplastic Recording Film"
John Rohlfing - Chemical Engineering
"SBS Block Copolymers - Modifying Mechanical Properties via Irradiation and Blending with Polystyrene"
William Schwimmer - Chemical Engineering
"Polymer Solution Structure as Determined by Photophysical Techniques"
Fu-Jya Tsai (now Daniel Tsai) - Chemical Engineering
"Studies of the Self-Absorption Effect in Polystyrene Fluorescence and the Applicability of Excimer Fluorescence to the Investigation of Oligomeric Polystyrene/Polybutadiene Phase Separation"
1986
Michael D. Major - Chemical Engineering
"An Inquiry into the Conformational Behavior of Polystyrene Sulfonate"
John G. Victor - Chemical Engineering
"Molecular Probe Studies of Free Volume in Glassy Polymers"
Steven R. Gilbert - Chemical Engineering
"Polymer Structure and Behavior in Dilute and "Semi-dilute Solution: Determination by Fluorescence Techniques"
Edward (Ned) J. Gordon - Chemical Engineering
"Fluorescence Studies of Block Copolymers in Solution and the Solid State"
1985
Samuel E. Lee - Chemical Engineering
"Fluorescence Behavior of Styrene-Containing Block Copolymers"
Post-doctoral Fellows
Albert Davydov - May 1999 to August 2000
Trisha Sten - June 1999 to August 1999
Sung Dug (Doug) Kim - May 2000 to March 2002
Connie Roth - January 2006 to August 2007
Katsuyuki (Kat) Wakabayashi - February 2006 to August 2007
Visiting Scholars and Pre-doctoral Fellows
Paola Castrillo - April 2007 to June 2007
Dong Jin Woo - 2005-2006
Additional Graduate Students
Kosmas Kasimatis
Masashi Ono
Undergraduate Students and Others
Prof. Torkelson has supervised the research of more than 130 undergraduate students over the past 24 years. Some of his former undergrad research students are now teaching at universities in the United States. Several were winners of NSF and NDSEG Graduate Research Fellowships. Some were winners of the Gotaas Undergraduate Research Award from the Engineering School at Northwestern University. Prof. Torkelson has also had four high school teachers and two high school students involved in research in his laboratory.
