Biosketch

Prof. LaShanda T. J. Korley is a Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Materials Science & Engineering and Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Delaware (UD). Previously, she held the Climo Associate Professorship of Macromolecular Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, where she started her independent career in 2007. Taking inspiration from nature, her research program involves understanding the design rules employed by nature and applying these strategies to the development of mechanically-enhanced and tunable materials. Prof. Korley is the Director of the recently awarded Energy Frontier Research Center – Center for Plastics Innovation (CPI) funded by the Department of Energy and also the Co-Director of the recently announced Materials Research Science and Center – UD Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials (UD CHARM). She is also 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

• 2020 AIMBE Fellow
• 2019 NOBCChE Lloyd N. Ferguson Young Scientist Award
• Japanese/American Frontiers of Science Symposium – Kavli Fellow, 2012 – 2016
• DuPont Young Professor Award, 2011

Research Interests

Mechanically-enhanced, multifunctional materials inspired by nature

• Hierarchical peptide polymer hybrids
• Bio-based materials
• New manufacturing strategies for functional material development
• Hygromorphic actuators
• Supramolecular interpenetrating networks (IPNs) and elastomers
• Responsive gels and composites

Representative Publications

“Matolyak, L.E.; Keum, J.K.; Korley, L.T.J. “Molecular Design – Network Architecture and its Impact on the Organization and Mechanics of Peptide-Polyurea Hybrids,” Biomacromolecules 2016, 17(12), 3931–3939; DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.6b01309

Alexander, Symone L.M.; Korley, L.T.J. “Tunable Hygromorphism: Structural Implications of Low Molecular Weight Gels and Electrospun Nanofibers in Bilayer Composites.” Soft Matter 2017, 13, 283-291, DOI:1 0.1039/C6SM00749J

Jordan, A.M; Kim, S.-E.; Van de Voorde, K.M.; Porkoski, J.; Korley, L.T.J. “In Situ Fabrication of Fiber Reinforced Three-Dimensional Hydrogel Tissue Engineering Scaffolds,” ACS Biomater. Sci. Eng. 2017, 3 (8), 1869–1879, DOI: 1021/acsbiomaterials.7b00229

Alexander, S.L.M; Korley, L.T.J. “Programming Shape and Tailoring Transport: Advancing Hygromorphic Bilayers with Aligned Nanofibers,” Soft Matter 2017,13, 5589 – 5596, DOI: 10.1039/C7SM00962C

Brannum, M.L.; Steele, A.B.; Venetos, M.C.; Korley, L.T.J.; Wnek, G.E.; White, T.J.; “Light Control with Liquid Crystalline Elastomers,” Advanced Optical Materials 2019, 7, 1801683-1801687; DOI: 1002/adom.201801683

Thompson, C.B.; Chatterjee, S.; Korley, L.T.J.*; Invited Article, Special Issue – Biomimetic Polymers, “Gradient Supramolecular Interactions and Tunable Mechanics in Polychaete Jaw Inspired Supramolecular Interpenetrating Networks,” European Polymer Journal 2019, 116, 201-209; DOI:10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2019.04.015

Wang, C.; Brown, G.; Burris, D.; Korley, L.T.J.; Epps, III, T.; “The Coating Architects: Manipulating Multi-Scale Structures in Polymer Coatings to Optimize Interfacial Properties,” ACS Applied Polymer Materials 2019, 1(9), 2249-2266; DOI: 10.1021/acsapm.9b00302

Redondo, A.; Chatterjee, S.; Brodard, P.; Korley, L.T.J.; Gunkel, I.; Weder, C.; Steiner, U.; “Melt-Spun Nanocomposite Fibers Reinforced with Aligned Tunicate Nanocrystals,” Polymers 2019, 11, 1912; DOI:10.3390/polym11121912

 Van de Voorde, K.; Pokorski, J. P.; and Korley, L.T.J.; “Exploring Morphological Effects on the Mechanics of Blended PLA/PCL Extruded Fibers Fabricated using Multilayer Coextrusion,” Macromolecules 2020, DOI:10.1021/acs.macromol.0c00289