MacroCenter
Encyclopedia
The Center for Macromolecular Science and Engineering (also known as the CMSE or the MacroCenter) at the University of Florida
(UF) promotes interdisciplinary collaboration between the polymer science and the University of Florida College of Engineering
and serves as a conduit between industry, government and UF.
George Butler joined the Department of Chemistry
after four years with the Rohm and Haas
Company. His research group in polymer chemistry was among the first in academics, and as interest in polymers grew, Professor Butler formed the Center for Macromolecular Science & Engineering in 1970 to coordinate polymer research campus wide. The polymer program at Florida is thought to be among the oldest in the United States.
Today the Center comprises 18 faculty along with 103 students and staff operating in four departments on campus, where cumulative external funding amounted to $6.1 million in 2006-2007 . Professor Ken Wagener serves as the Center director, while Professor John Reynolds and Professor Tony Brennan serve as associate directors of chemistry and engineering, respectively.
Faculty in the Departments of Chemical Engineering
, Chemistry
, Materials Science and Engineering, and Physics
comprise the membership of the organization. Each faculty member operates independently of the MacroCenter, and students receive degrees directly from their respective departments.
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
(UF) promotes interdisciplinary collaboration between the polymer science and the University of Florida College of Engineering
University of Florida College of Engineering
The College of Engineering at the University of Florida provides formal education and research in more than 12 fields of engineering, including: aerospace, agricultural, biological, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, industrial, materials, and mechanical.-History:The...
and serves as a conduit between industry, government and UF.
History
In 1946, ProfessorProfessor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
George Butler joined the Department of Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
after four years with the Rohm and Haas
Rohm and Haas
Rohm and Haas Company, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based company, manufactures miscellaneous materials. Formerly a Fortune 500 Company, Rohm and Haas employs more than 17,000 people in 27 countries, with its last sales revenue reported as an independent company at USD 8.9 billion. On July 10,...
Company. His research group in polymer chemistry was among the first in academics, and as interest in polymers grew, Professor Butler formed the Center for Macromolecular Science & Engineering in 1970 to coordinate polymer research campus wide. The polymer program at Florida is thought to be among the oldest in the United States.
Today the Center comprises 18 faculty along with 103 students and staff operating in four departments on campus, where cumulative external funding amounted to $6.1 million in 2006-2007 . Professor Ken Wagener serves as the Center director, while Professor John Reynolds and Professor Tony Brennan serve as associate directors of chemistry and engineering, respectively.
The Center's Work
The Center promotes collaboration among faculty in polymer science and engineering on UF's campus and serves as a conduit between industry, government and the university. The MacroCenter's work spans the breadth of the polymer field including synthesis and mechanism, polymer spectroscopy, surface analysis, polymer processing, electronic properties, and polymer rheology. The MacroCenter is fully equipped to conduct research in all of these areas.Faculty in the Departments of Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
, Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, Materials Science and Engineering, and Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
comprise the membership of the organization. Each faculty member operates independently of the MacroCenter, and students receive degrees directly from their respective departments.
Research Areas
The MacroCenter represents faculty with varied interests and specialties:- Ceramics/Polymers
- Polymeric Biomaterials
- Drug Delivery Systems
- Polymeric Nano-Composites
- Polymeric Interfaces
- Organic Chemistry
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Biomedical Polymers
- Electroactive Polymers
- Infrared Measurements
- Optical Measurements
- Polymer Synthesis
External Interactions
More than 45 companies - past and present - have been working partners with the MacroCenter, as has been every major government funding agency.See also
- University of FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
- College of Engineering at UFUniversity of Florida College of EngineeringThe College of Engineering at the University of Florida provides formal education and research in more than 12 fields of engineering, including: aerospace, agricultural, biological, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, industrial, materials, and mechanical.-History:The...
- Polymer ChemistryPolymer chemistryPolymer chemistry or macromolecular chemistry is a multidisciplinary science that deals with the chemical synthesis and chemical properties of polymers or macromolecules. According to IUPAC recommendations, macromolecules refer to the individual molecular chains and are the domain of chemistry...
- Material Science
- Organic ChemistryOrganic chemistryOrganic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...