About the Center
HISTORY
In 1946 Professor George Butler joined the UF Department of Chemistry after four years with the Rohm & Haas Company. His research group was among the first
to focus on polymer chemistry in the United States, and as interest in polymers grew, Professor Butler formed the Center for Macromolecular Science & Engineering in 1970 to coordinate polymer research campus-wide.
NOW
Today, the CMSE is led by Prof. Brent Sumerlin (Director) and Prof. Ken Wagener (Associate Director) and is comprised of 35 faculty along with over
120 students and staff operating in four departments on campus.
​
THE CENTER'S WORK
The Center promotes collaboration among faculty in polymer science and engineering on campus and serves as a conduit between industry, government, and our university. We stress a fundamental approach in research while seeking solutions to practical problems. Only by combining our diverse expertise can the major challenges in soft matter science be addressed.
Our work spans the breadth of the polymer field, including polymerization and synthetic methodology, theory and computation, polymer spectroscopy, surface analysis, polymer processing, electronic properties, and rheology. We are fully equipped to conduct research in all of these areas.
​
Faculty in the Departments of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering comprise the membership of the organization. Each faculty member operates independently of the Center, and students receive degrees directly from their respective departments. The Center enjoys a reputation of producing world-class researchers well founded in the fundamentals of polymer science.
EXTERNAL INTERACTIONS
More than 45 companies - past and present - have been working partners with the CMSE. Our research has been supported by many of these partners, as well as every major government funding agency. Students clearly benefit from these interactions, especially in the latter phase of their academic careers. These interactions foster professional and personal development and provide the resources for collaborative scientific breakthroughs.