Rachel Segalman (she/her/hers)

Rachel Segalman

Edward Noble Kramer Professor
NAE
Pronounced: RAY-chel SEE-gahl-man

Contact

(805) 893-3709
3353 Engineering II & 3117E MRL
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080

ChemE Research Areas: 

Honors: 

2022  Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
2022  Elected Fellow of the AIChE
2022  Andreas Acrivos Award for Professional Progress in Chemical Engineering, AIChE
2021  Ernest O. Lawrence Award, D.O.E.
2021  Elected to the National Academy of Engineering
2020  Academy of Distinguished Chemical Engineers, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas
2019  Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
2019  NSF Special Creativity Award
2018-2021  Elected Board of Directors, Materials Research Society
2016  Elected Fellow of the American Physical Society
2016  Elected Senior Member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
2015  Journal of Polymer Science Innovation Award
2012  John H. Dillon Medal of the American Physical Society
2010  Camille Dreyfus Teacher Scholar
2009  Alfred P. Sloan Fellow
2008  Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE)
2008  Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Materials Science Division's Young Scientist of the Year Award
2007  Mohr-Davidow Ventures Innovators Award
2007  MIT Technology Review's Top 35 Innovators under 35 years old (TR35)
2006-2008  3M Untenured Faculty Award
2007  Hellman Family Young Faculty Award
2005  National Science Foundation CAREER Award
2004  Intel Young Faculty Award
2003  Chateaubriand Fellowship
2001  Corning Foundation Fellowship
2001  MRS Graduate Student Award Finalist
1998  National Science Foundation Fellowship

 

 

Research Description: 

Structure control over soft matter on a molecular through nanoscopic lengthscale is a vital tool to optimizing properties for applications ranging from energy (solar and thermal) to biomaterials. For example, while molecular structure affects the electronic properties of semiconducting polymers, the crystal and grain structure greatly affect bulk conductivity, and nanometer lengthscale pattern of internal interfaces is vital to charge separation and recombination in photovoltaic and light emission effects. Similarly, biological materials gain functionality from structures ranging from monomeric sequence through chain shape through self-assembly. We work to both understand the effects of structure on properties and gain pattern control in these inherently multidimensional problems. We are particularly interested in materials for energy applications such as photovoltaics, fuel cells, and thermoelectrics.

Education: 

BS: University of Texas at Austin (1998)
PhD: University of California, Santa Barbara (2002)

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