RESEARCH AREAS
The School of Polymer Science and Engineering faculty is engaged in world-leading, innovative research spanning multiple areas in the field of polymer science and engineering. Visit our USM website to learn more about our areas of research.
C&EN’s Talented Twelve
Kat Knauer
There are many brilliant young chemists and chemical engineers out there. C&EN’s readers proposed almost 370 individuals for this year’s Talented 12 class. Whittling the impressive list of nominees down to only a dozen took a lot of deliberation. We are excited to present to you these rising stars. We hope you’ll be just as impressed as we are by their bold vision and their dedication to solving important problems.
Ben Alameda – Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Cyclic ketal bridged bisepoxides: enabling the design of degradable epoxy-amine thermosets for carbon fiber composite applications
Evan Stacy
PhD Candidate, CEO and Founder of Lumios Materials
The 2025 Innovation Crossroads cohort brings together six entrepreneurs who will collaborate with ORNL to accelerate advancements in energy and emerging technologies that strengthen U.S. competitiveness and regional economic growth. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy
Six entrepreneurs comprise the next cohort of Innovation Crossroads, a Department of Energy Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program node based at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The program provides energy-related startup founders from across the nation with access to ORNL’s unique scientific resources and capabilities, as well as connect them with experts, mentors and networks to accelerate their efforts to take their world-changing ideas to the marketplace.
Three PhD students in the Southern Miss School of Polymer Science and Engineering have been recognized by the SPE: Inspiring Plastics Professionals with 2025 scholarships for their commitment in shaping the future of the plastics industry.
Congratulations to Anthony Griffin, Amy Coronado, and Carmen Byerly Dunn on this achievement!
Read the full announcement from the SPE Foundation here
Congrats to our BS, MS, and PhD graduates from the Southern Miss School of Polymer Science and Engineering! From innovative research to academic excellence, this Class of 2025 has exemplified the spirit of Southern Miss! We are proud of all you have accomplished and cannot wait to see what’s next.
2025 Student Poster Competition at The International Waterborne, High-Solids and Powder Coatings Symposium
Exciting news from the Southern Miss School of Polymer Science and Engineering! We are currently seeking a tenure-track Assistant Professor to join our team. SPSE is a recognized leader in polymer science and engineering, bringing together 15 faculty, 65 Ph.D. students, and 100 undergraduates in the 110,000 ft² Thames Polymer Science Research Center - our home for research, education, and innovation.
Applications are open now – review begins November 24, 2025.
🔗Apply Here (Job Req5023)
Join us in shaping the future of polymer science and engineering at Southern Miss!
USM Polymer Science Professor Honored with Top Mississippi Academy of Sciences Award for Excellence in Teaching and Research
A veteran faculty member of The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) School of Polymer Science and Engineering has been recognized for her outstanding achievements as an educator and researcher with one of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences’ (MAS) top honors.
Dr. Sarah Morgan, a Bennett Distinguished Professor at Southern Miss and associate director of the School of Polymer Science and Engineering, received the organization’s Contribution to Science Award during its 89th annual meeting, held March 20–21 at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum and Convention Center in Biloxi.
Sarah Morgan, Southern Miss School of Polymer Science and Engineering was recognized as the 2025 Mississippi Science Teaching Association Conference keynote speaker. Her career reflects the best of what we value at Southern Miss - innovation in polymer science, excellence in education, and a commitment to mentoring the next generation of scientists and engineers!
Wiggins Named T.W. Bennett Professor at USM
This year’s T.W. Bennett Symposium brought together leading voices in science and industry to explore the theme “Fundamental Research with a Purpose.”
Keynote speaker Dr. Jeffrey Wiggins, polymer science and engineering professor at Southern Miss and the 2023–25 Bennett Distinguished Professor, highlighted how research here—from polymer science to business innovation—can drive progress and improve lives across Mississippi and beyond.
The event emphasized the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration and industry partnerships in translating research into real-world impact.
The symposium is made possible through the T.W. Bennett Endowment, established at USM by Mr. and Mrs. T.W. Bennett Sr., in honor of their son, Thomas Waring Bennett Jr., and his passion for the sciences. He was declared missing in action on Dec. 22, 1972, while serving in the United States Air Force.
School of Polymer Science and Engineering Faculty Member Earns National Honor
Dr. Xiaodan Gu, an associate professor in the School of Polymer Science and Engineering at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), has been named one of 400 scientists and engineers nationwide to earn the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).
For more information on how you can get involved, please contact
Melanie Bryan: 601.266.6629