
Michael Free
Department Chair and ProfessorOffice: CME 304
Phone: 801-585-9798
Email: michael.free@utah.edu
Research Interests
My research interests include hydrometallurgy, electrometallurgy, corrosion, and materials synthesis. I have worked on a variety of research projects involving metals extraction, separation, recovery, and refining as well as corrosion, materials synthesis, and additive manufacturing. The hydrometallurgy and electrometallurgy research projects have focused on copper, gold, titanium, rare earth elements, and critical metals. The corrosion investigations have involved steel, aluminum, and additively manufactured alloys.
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Dmitry Bedrov
Associate Department Chair and Associate ProfessorOffice: CME 207
Phone: 801-585-3949
Email: d.bedrov@utah.edu
Research Interest
My research interest lies in the area of multiscale modeling of soft-condensed matter systems that exhibit complex, multiscale structure often arising from molecular and super-molecular self-assembly.

Zlatan Aksamija
Associate ProfessorOffice: CME 210
Phone: 801-581-7994
Email: zlatan.aksamija@utah.edu
Research Interest
My research is in electronic materials, low-dimensional, heterostructures, and nanostructured semiconductors. The main focus of my work is on heat dissipation in nanoelectronics, nanoscale heat transport, and the coupling between electronic and thermal transport in electronic materials. These properties are especially important in two-dimensional materials such as graphene or molybdenum disulfide, where van der Waals stacking of heterogenous layers enables new properties but leads to poor interface conductance. I am also interested in the reverse problem of thermoelectric energy conversion for applications in scavenging waste heat. There, I study thermoelectric conversion in organic materials, which offer environmentally-friendly synthesis but their amorphous structure inhibits electronic transport. Using first-principles computational tools, my group sheds light on the mapping between atomic and mesoscale structure and electro-thermal transport.

Research Interest
My research is on polymer materials and their interfaces with biological systems. Our projects range from sustainable polymer materials that become nutrients for microorganisms to biomedical materials that interact with biomarkers, biological signals, hormones, and single cells. In addition, we work on the physics of glide performance in skiing and snowboarding, where we characterize the snow interface on the temperature-dependent properties of polymers and waxes.

Darryl Butt
Professor & Dean of the College of Mines and Earth SciencesOffice: FASB 205
Phone: 801-581-8767
Email: darryl.butt@utah.edu
Research Interest

Research Interests
Physical Metallurgy and Mechanical Behavior of Materials. Research focus on fatigue and fracture mechanics, materials processing, Li-ion battery material science, modeling of diffusion phenomena, first principles methods and computational alloy design. Also performs failure analysis investigations to determine the root cause of failures in materials and structures.

Research Interests
Cemented tungsten carbide, metal hydrides for hydrogen and thermal energy storage.

Sivaraman Guruswamy
Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, & Associate Dean for Academics, CMESOffice: WBB 411/413
Phone: 801-581-7217
Email: s.guruswamy@utah.edu
Research Interests
Physical metallurgy, Magnetic and Magnetostrictive Materials, UV and THz Plasmonic Metamaterials, and Materials Processing.

Research Interest
Though crystalline materials are often characterized by periodic order, of particular interest to my research is how correlated disorder and competing local forces give rise to unusual phenomena that are inaccessible to perfect crystals, yet are crucial for energy storage and other applications. We approach these scientific questions by coupling synthesis and property measurements with advanced total scattering and spectroscopic characterizations.
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Research Interest
Surface chemistry of minerals, characterization of 3D structures in micro and nano scale, and fluid flow through porous media

Research Interest
The Effects of Molybdenum Additions on the Sintering and Mechanical Behavior of Ultrafine-Grained Tungsten.

Chen-Luh Lin
Research Professor EmeritusOffice: WBB 205
Phone: 801-581-5309
Email: chenluh.lin@utah.edu
Research Interest
Particle damage and exposure analysis in HPGR crushing of selected copper ores for column leaching.

Feng Liu
Ivan B. Cutler Distinguished ProfessorOffice: CME 213
hone: 801-587-7719
Email: fliu@eng.utah.edu
Research Interests
My research interests lie in the materials modeling and simulation from the atomic to mesoscopic scales. We develop and apply both first-principles computational methods and phenomenological theoretical models to study a wide spectrum of materials properties in various materials systems. Most recently, we have focused on modeling and simulation of properties of surfaces and interfaces, growth mechanisms of thin films, and self-assembly and self-organization of nanostructures.
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Jan Miller
Ivor D. Thomas Disinguished ProfessorOffice: WBB 216
Phone: 801-581-5160
Email: jan.miller@utah.edu
Research Interests
Mineral processing and coal preparation, flotation separations.

Research Interests
Renewable and alternate energy, biofuels, nuclear waste recycling.

Swomitra Mohanty
Associate ProfessorOffice: WBB 209A
Phone: 801-587-7299
Email: swomitra.mohanty@utah.edu
Research Interests
Titanium-oxide nanotubes for organic compounds (VOCs) detection for disease diagnosis.

Research Interests
Laser-Assisted Manufacturing, Material Design and Development, 2D Layered Materials, Recycling, Materials Chemistry.

Mike Scarpulla
Associate ProfessorOffice: MEB 2138
Phone: 801-585-1231
Email: scarpulla@eng.utah.edu
Research Interest
Compound semiconductor research, laser processing of compound semiconductors, and photovoltaics. We have current projects in CdTe, CZTSSe, and III-V’s.
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Research Interest
Design, Process and Characterize Functional and Structural Ceramics. Two specific areas of interest are designing functionally-graded carbides in Group VB metal (Ta, Nb, V) -C binary systems and magnetic-field induced texture in non-cubic oxide ceramics for optical and electro-optical applications.
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Research Interests
Nuclear fuel pyroprocessing, Molten salt electrochemistry and spectroscopy.
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Research Interest
Chemical Synthesis of Inorganic Nanomaterials, Hydrogen Storage Materials Development, Metallurgical Process Engineering, Fluid.

Gerald Stringfellow
Distinguished ProfessorOffice: MEB 3110
Phone: 801-581-8387
Email: stringfellow@coe.utah.edu
Research Interests
Ceramics, advanced materials, microelectronics, and a broad range of topics related to materials science and electronics.
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Research Interest
Materials informatics and using machine learning to discover, synthesize, and characterize new energy materials.
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Research Interests
Powder Metallurgy; Additive Manufacturing

Research Interest
My research is on advanced materials for application in a variety of areas including Nano-Electronics, Spintronics, Spin-Caloritronics, Thermoelectrics and Gas Sensors. We use pulsed laser deposition technique for designing new functional materials and smart structures. Our current emphasis is on Oxide and Chalcogenides based 2D materials.

Anil Virkar
Distinguished ProfessorOffice: CME 316-315
Phone: 801-581-5396
Email: anil.virkar@m.cc.utah.edu
Research Interest
Research interests in fuel cells, batteries, sensors, high temperature materials (ceramics), solid state and liquid state electrochemistry, materials synthesis, energy-related research.

Research Interest
Most polymer materials are not recycled today because they are not designed to be recyclable. Our research group is broadly interested in recyclable-by-design polymer materials that enable a circular economy of plastics, composites, flexible electronics, etc. Our approach integrates molecular design, structure-property relationship, and performance-driven process development. Please check out the group website for more information.

Research Interest
Flotation chemistry, Spectroscopy analysis at surface and interface, Industrial mineral processing, Wastewater treatment, Gypsum dehydration/rehydration processing, Development of Li-ion battery.

Research Interest
Mineral processing and extractive metallurgy with research interests in rare earth element extraction and purification, integration of biotechnologies in extractive metallurgy, strategic material recycling, and mine waste treatment and reclamation.

Research Interest
Current research interests include molecular self-assembly, organic semiconductors and nanostructures, nanoscale imaging, molecular probe, fluorescence sensing, optoelectronic sensors and nanodevices, as well as the relevant applications in solar energy conversion, and trace chemical and explosives detection.
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