Principal Investigators
Dr. Ali Dhinojwala
Interim Dean of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, H. A. Morton Professor of Polymer Science, BRIC Co-PI
Dr. Dhinojwala obtained a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University and spent two years as a research scientist at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After spending one year at GE Plastics, he joined The University of Akron in 1997. His current research is in the areas of adhesion, friction, and wetting. His group has developed unique surface technique to study buried polymer interfaces. His recent interest is in understanding how geckos and spiders use adhesives for locomotion and prey capture. These studies have led his team to develop synthetic adhesives using aligned carbon nanotubes. His latest passion is on developing structural colors, a strategy inspired by bird colors.
Email me: ali4@uakron.edu
Dr. Peter H. Niewiarowski
Professor of Biology, BRIC Co-PI
Dr. Niewiarowski’s current research includes several broad areas in ecology and evolution. He has active projects in population biology (spotted salamanders), physiological ecology and life history variation (fence lizards), and evolutionary biology/bio-inspired design (geckos). The thread which has always tied these seemingly disparate activities together is a firm foundation in evolutionary theory and analysis. Although Dr. Niewiarowski is active (publishing papers, seeking funding, and mentoring students) in all of the areas mentioned above, he focuses much of his energy on new work with geckos, in collaboration with Dr. Dhinojwala. Dr. Dhinojwala’s lab was one of the first to produce a synthetic version of the gecko adhesive system with performance capabilities equaling or exceeding natural toe pads. His collaboration with Ali is one of many examples of faculty collaborations within the Integrated Bioscience PhD program.
Email me: phn@uakron.edu
Postdocs
Graduate Students
Austin M. Garner
PhD Candidate, Integrated Bioscience
Austin Garner has been involved in the Gecko Adhesion Research Group since 2013 while completing his Bachelor of Science in Biology (vertebrate zoology focus) at the University of Akron. He graduated magna cum laude in 2016 and began his graduate education in the University of Akron’s Integrated Bioscience PhD program later that year. Austin is co-advised by Dr. Niewiarowski and Dr. Dhinojwala. His research interests include: biological adhesion, functional morphology, behavior, biomimicry, and bio-inspired materials. Austin’s dissertation research integrates knowledge and techniques from the fields of materials science and biology to examine the functional morphology of Anolis lizard adhesive toe pads and the impact of surface roughness on gecko adhesion.
Email me: amg149@zips.uakron.edu
Nathaniel Orndorf
PhD Candidate, Polymer Science
Nathaniel Orndorf came to the University of Akron in the fall of 2017 after graduating from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor of Science in both Mathematics and Physics. Currently, he is a PhD student in the Department of Polymer Science advised by Dr. Dhinojwala. Nathaniel’s work focuses on how the fundamental approaches to understanding adhesion apply to the complicated problem of ice nucleation and adhesion. One aspect of this approach is studying various biological systems which interface with ice. His other research interests include surface sensitive spectroscopy, biomimicry, and sustainability (specifically waste management, renewable energy, and carbon sequestration). After graduate school, Nathaniel plans to continue to pursue a career in physical chemistry/chemical physics.
Email me: nao15@zips.uakron.edu
Undergraduate Students
Alexandra Pamfilie
Tiered Mentoring Student, Biology/Psychology
Alexandra Pamfilie came to the University of Akron in 2016 after graduating from Cuyahoga Falls High School. She is a senior undergraduate student and has been working with the Gecko Adhesion Research Group for over a year. Her research interests include animal behavior, ecology, and morphology. She is currently working on projects examining the behavioral and morphological components of biological adhesion to rough surfaces. After graduating, she intends to pursue a doctoral degree in ecology and evolution.
Email me: amp183@zips.uakron.edu
Former Graduate Students
Dr. Michael C. Wilson
Dr. Mena R. Klittich – Leadership Development Program Associate (R&D), Avery Dennison
Dr. Alex Nyarko – Technology Leadership Development Program Associate (R&D), Avery Dennison
Dr. Dharamdeep Jain – Firestone Building Products, Bridgestone
Dr. Alyssa Y. Stark – Assistant Professor of Biology, Villanova University
Dr. Ila Badge – Qualcomm
Dr. Ping Yuan Hsu
Dr. Liehui Ge
Lan Yu
Former Undergraduate Students
Joshua Taylor
Austin Keith
Alexis Schnarrenberger
Alexandra Tomasko
Rochelle Rodrigo
Craig Bernard
Amanda Palecek
Shairani Subarajan
Eva Paoloni
Brandon McClung
Nicholas Wucinich
Jocelyn Ohlemacher
Ashley Knight
Timothy Sullivan
Emily Hagan
Gecko Adhesion Research Group 