Biosketch

Prof. LaShanda T. J. Korley is a Distinguished Professor of Engineering in the Departments of Materials Science & Engineering and Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Delaware (UD). Her innovative research program utilizes a bioeconomy framework or the nexus of biologically-inspired and sustainable principles for the molecular design and manufacture of functional polymeric systems, including thermoplastics, networks, composites, and gels. Prof. Korley is the Director of the Energy Frontier Research Center – Center for Plastics Innovation (CPI) funded by the Department of Energy and also the Co-Director of the Materials Research Science and Center – UD Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials (UD CHARM). She also is the Principal Investigator for the National Science Foundation Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE): Bio-inspired Materials and Systems and the Associate Director of the Center for Research in Soft matter & Polymers (CRiSP) at the University of Delaware.

Awards

• 2023 ACS Fellow
• 2023 RSC Fellow
• 2023 AIChE Fellow
• 2023 ACS POLY Fellow
• 2023 U.S. Science Envoy
• 2022 AIChE MAC William W. Grimes Award for Excellence in Chemical Engineering
• 2022 APS Fellow
• 2022 ACS PMSE Fellow
• 2021 AIChE MAC Gerry Lessells Award
• 2021 Chemical and Engineering News Black Trailblazer
• 2020 AIMBE Fellow
• 2019 NOBCChE Lloyd N. Ferguson Young Scientist Award

Research Interests

• Bio-inspired, functional systems
• Sustainable materials
• Plastics deconstruction and upgrading
• New fiber and composite manufacturing

Representative Publications

Mahajan, J. S.; O’Dea, R. M.; Norris, J. B.; Korley, L. T. J.; Epps, T. H., III; ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering 2020 8(40), 15072-15096 “Aromatics from Lignocellulosic Biomass: A Platform for High-Performance Thermosets”

Amitrano, A.; Mahajan, J.S.; Korley, L.T.J.; Epps, T.H., III; RSC Advances 2021, 11, 22149-22158 “Estrogenic activity of lignin-derivable alternatives to bisphenol A assessed via molecular docking simulations”

Korley, L. T. J.; Epps, T. H., III; Helms, B. A.; Ryan, A. J.; Science 2021 373(6550), 66-69 “Toward Polymer Upcycling – Adding Value and Tackling Circularity”

Mhatre, S.V.; Mahajan, J.; Epps, T.H., III; Korley, L.T.J.; Materials Advances 2022 4(1), 110-121 “Lignin-derivable alternatives to conventional non-isocyanate polyurethane thermosets with enhanced toughness”

Vance, B.C.; Kots, P.A.; Wang, C.; Hinton, Z.R.; Quinn, C.M.; Epps, T.H., III; Korley, L.T.J.; Vlachos, D.G.; Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 2021, 120483 “Single Pot Catalyst Strategy to Branched Products via Adhesive Isomerization and Hydrocracking to Polyethylene over Platinum Tungstated Zirconia” 

Hinton, Z.R.; Kots, P.A.; Vlachos, D.G.; Soukaseum, M.; Epps, T.H., III; Korley, L.T.J.; Green Chemistry 2022 24, 7332 – 7339 “Antioxidant-Induced Catalyst Transformations in the Hydrocracking of Polyethylene Waste”

Jordan, A.M., Marotta, T., Korley, L.T.J.; ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering 2015 3(11), 2994-3003 “Reducing Environmental Impact: Solvent and PEO Reclamation During Production of Melt-Extruded PCL Nanofibers”

Jang, Daseul; Thompson, C.T.; Chatterjee, S.; Korley, L.T.J.; Molecular Systems Design & Engineering 2021, 6, 1003-1015 “Engineering bio-inspired peptide-polyurea hybrids with thermoresponsive shape memory behaviour”

Jang, D.; Beckett, L.E.; Keum, J.; Korley, L.T.J.; Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2023, 11, 5594-5606 “Leveraging peptide-cellulose interactions to tailor the hierarchy and mechanics of peptide-polymer hybrids” 

Velasquez, S.T.R.; Jang, D.; Jenkins, P.; Liu, P.; Yang, L.; Korley, L.T.J.; Bruns, N.; Advanced Functional Materials, 2022, 2207317 “Peptide-Reinforced Amphiphilic Polymer Conetworks”