Morgan Research Group Members
Read below about current and past Morgan Research Group Members.
Dr. Sarah Morgan
Dr. Morgan joined The University in November of 2002 after a fourteen year career in industrial R&D in engineering thermoplastics. She was employed from 1989 until joining Southern Miss at GE Plastics, where she held various R&D and management roles at GE locations around the world. Most recently she was Global Technology Manager for NORYL™ Resins and Global Sourcing Quality Leader at GEP headquarters, where she received Master Black Belt Six Sigma certification. Dr. Morgan's extensive experience in product and process R&D and management includes engineering thermoplastics and blends (including polycarbonate, polyphenylene ether, polyetherimide, polybutylene terephthalate, ABS, ASA), reactive extrusion, polymer processing and rheology, fillers and nanocomposites, conductive composites, flame retardants, stabilizers, colorants and polymer characterization.
Sarah Morgan Research Group
Graduate Students
Robert Cook
Cook graduated from Lycoming College with degrees in Physics and Astronomy. In 2006 he joined USM's Sports and High Performance Materials Ph.D. program. Dissertation research involves the formation of HDPE and UHMWPE hybrid polymer nanocomposites, with emphasis on the creation and characterization of ultra low friction surfaces. Cook has worked on the aerospace composites project that is a partnership between USM and General Electric.
Sarah Exley
Sarah received a B.S. degree in Biology and English from Millsaps College in 2008. In 2011, she joined the Polymer Science Department at the University of Southern Mississippi as a Ph.D. candidate. Currently, she is doing research in biopolymers and bio-inspired polymer synthesis and characterization, focusing on the development of polymerosomes.
Lea Paslay
Current research involves the use of bio-macromolecules to modify surfaces. More
specifically, I am involved in the isolation and characterization of a hydrophobin protein, ABH1, natively produced by the fruiting fungus Agaricus bisporus. This unique protein has shown much potential in the areas of surface modification and surface functionalization.
Chris Sahagun
Research interests include mechanical property enhancement of polymers through the incorporation of nanoparticles. The effect of nanoparticle functionalization on the properties of the nanoparticle/matrix interface. Experimental validation of molecular dynamic simulations through the use of nanomechanical characterization techniques such as atomic force microscopy and nanoindentation.
Yuhong Wei
Wei is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Southern Mississippi. Prior to USM, she received a Masters in Inorganic chemistry from Jilin University, China, and a B.S. in Applied Chemistry from Northeast Normal University, China.
Her reserarch experience includes Triboindenter training, Hysitron, AFM training, and worked at Department of Science and Technology, Jilin University in China.
Elana Lewis
Lewis graduated from Alfred University with a BS in Materials Science and Engineering. In 2011 she joined USM's Sports and High Performance Materials Ph.D. program. Dissertation research involves the formation of barrier coatings with hybrid polymer nanocomposites, with emphasis on the mechanical, thermal and diffusive surface properties.
Qi Wu
Qi Wu received a MS in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2011 and received a BS in Polymer Science and Engineering from Qingdao University of Science and Technology in Polymer Science and Engineering in 2006. He entered the PhD program of the School of Polymers and High Performance Materials at The University of Southern Mississippi in August of 201. His current research interests include synthesis and analysis of nanostructured materials for photovoltaic applications and study of nanoengineered particles.
Yan Zong
Yan Zong received a BS in Applied Chemistry from Northwest University in China in 2011. He entered the PhD program in The School of Polymers and High Performance Materials in fall of 2011, and joined the Morgan Research Group in 2010. His current research interests include synthesis and analysis of stimuli-responsive polymeric materials for surface modification.
Xiaonan Kou
Xiaonan Kou graduated from the Chemistry Department of Beijing Normal University in 2007. She entered the PhD program in The School of Polymers and High Performance Materials in fall of 2007, and joined the Morgan Research Group in 2011. Her current research is about functionalization of carbon nanotube (CNT) surface with POSS for the purpose of improved CNT dispersion in polyurethane thin films.
Post Docs
Mithun Bhattacharya
Mithun did his B.S. in Chemistry and B. Tech. in Polymer Science from the University of Calcutta, India. After which he worked as Technologist for about an year in a multinational company (India based). He earned his Ph.D. degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur in 2010. He assays to decipher and establish morphology–property relationships in polymer nanocomposites meant for photovoltaic applications. Some other areas of his research interest are studies on permeability, abrasion and image analysis.
Past Group Members
Husnu Alp Alidedeoglu, Ph.D.
Platform Chemist
SABIC Innovative Plastics
Mount Vernon, Indiana 47620
T: 812-831-7244
Husnu.Alidedeoglu@sabic-ip.com
http://www.sabic-ip.com
Jun Li
Semprus BioSciences
One Kendall Square
Building 1400, 1st Floor
Cambridge, MA 02139
Tel: 617/577-7755 x206
junli_69@yahoo.com
Sambhu Bhadra
Research Scientist
Syngene International Ltd
Bangalore, India
bhadra_sambhu@yahoo.com
Rahul Misara
Research Scientist
DuPont Knowledge Center
Hyderabad, India
rahul.misra@ind.dupont.com
Paul Jones
Research Scientist
Halliburton
Paul.Jones@halliburton.com
Dipti Singh
Post-Doctoral Researcher
dipti_iitd@yahoo.com