Plastics Engineering Welcomes New Faculty

The Plastics Engineering Department recently hired a number of outstanding new faculty.  You can learn more about all of our faculty, including their teaching and research interests, by going to the People section of the web page.  We are pleased to welcome:

Dr. Daniel Schmidt joined the Plastics Engineering Faculty in the Fall of 2005 as an Assistant Professor.  He was hired as part of the Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence Initiative, coming from BASF AG’s ISIS (Institut de Science et d’Ingenierie Supramoleculaires) group in Strasbourg, France.  Dan has expertise in the preparation of (nano)porous polymers, as well as polymer nanocomposites and thermosets (especially silicones, polyurethanes, and formaldehyde resins).  He holds Bachelor’s degrees in Materials Science and in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University and a Doctorate in Materials Science from Cornell University.  He currently teaches courses in the areas of Polymer Science and Porous Polymers. Dan has a great sense of humor and he is an avid soccer and racquetball player.  He also enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and the outdoors.

Dr. Bridgette Budhlall joined the Plastics Engineering faculty as an Assistant Professor in December of 2006.  She was hired as part of the Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence initiative. Bridgette’s industry experience is with Air Products and Chemicals, where she worked with poly(vinyl alcohol) stabilized latexes for coatings and developed photoresist polymers and immersion fluids for microlelectronics applications.  She has a Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from Lehigh  University.  Bridgette also has broad expertise in polymerization techniques. She is currently a Research Assistant Professor at NC State University where she is conducting research in the applications of polymer colloids, drug delivery systems and biosensors.  Bridgette’s expertise in colloid science and coatings will allow the Plastics Engineering Department to ramp up its activity in the area of coatings and adhesives.  Bridgette is a naturalist at heart, enjoying birding, hiking, orienteering and sailing.