Dr. Abraham Joy
Dr. Abraham Joy, assistant professor of polymer science, and Dr. Xiong Gong, assistant professor of polymer engineering, each received 3M Nontenured Faculty Awards to develop collaborative research initiatives with 3M, a diversified technology company.
Both researchers received $15,000-a-year awards, extendable to three years. Joy's research, at the interface of materials science and cell biology, concentrates on developing functional biomaterials to regulate cell functions, stimuli-responsive materials, and polymers and oligomers for gene and drug delivery.
Dr. Xiong Gong
Gong's research focuses on flexible electronics, in particular, developing polymer electronics for the next generation of renewable energy (plastic solar cells) and low-cost flexible sensors, including biochips and photo detectors.
"For our college to have two assistant professors, in one year, receive these exceptional and highly competitive awards, reflects the quality of our new faculty members hired in the past two years," says Dr. Stephen Cheng, dean of the UA College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, noting that 3M presents approximately 15 new awards for science and engineering research nationally each year.
"This was the most competitive year, with more than 90 proposals reviewed/submitted and we were excited to select Professor Joy and Professor Gong for their promising research," says Dr. Kris Sridhar, global technical director, 3M Corrosion Protection Products Division.
About The University of Akron
The University of Akron is the public research university for Northeast Ohio. The Princeton Review listed UA among the "Best in the Midwest" in its 2010 edition of Best Colleges: Region-by-Region. Approximately 29,300 students are enrolled in UA's 300 associate, bachelor's, master's, doctoral and law degree programs and 100 certificate programs at sites in Summit, Wayne, Medina and Holmes counties. For more information, visit The University of Akron.
Media contact: Denise Henry, 330-972-6477 or henryd@.uakron.edu.
See Also:
Two UA polymer professors receive 3M awards, RubberWorld
3M Co. funds Akron research, PlasticsNews.com