Prof. Sperling honored at polymer conference

Leslie H. Sperling, professor emeritus of chemical engineering and one of the world's top researchers in the field of polymer science, delivered the plenary address last month when Lehigh hosted the Fifth National Graduate Research Polymer Conference.

The three-day conference, which drew more than 100 students and scientists, was dedicated to Sperling, who retired this year after 35 years of service to Lehigh.

The biannual conference gives graduate students across North America a chance to gather and discuss advances in polymer science. It was sponsored by the Polymer Chemistry Division of the American Chemistry Society.

Sperling, the author of 14 books and more than 300 technical articles on polymer science, discussed "Recent Advances in Interpenetrating Polymer Networks"in his address.

Sperling's books include Introduction to Physical Polymer Science, third edition (2001; published by John Wiley and Sons) and IPNs Around the World: Science and Engineering (1997; Wiley).

Sessions at the conference covered such topics as progress in nano-related polymers and materials and recent advances in biomedical and biopharmaceutical applications of polymers.

Sperling presided over several sessions at the conference, as did Raymond Pearson, director of the Center for Polymer Science and Engineering, and James E. Roberts, associate professor of chemistry, who also served as conference chair.

Other Lehigh faculty and staff who presided over sessions included John Coulter, professor of mechanical engineering and mechanics and RCEAS associate dean; Li Jia, assistant professor of chemistry; Andrew Klein, professor of chemical engineering; Kamil Klier, university distinguished professor of chemistry; Anthony McHugh, P.C. Rossin Professor and Chair of chemical engineering; Daniel Ou-Yang, professor of physics; Gary Simmons, professor of chemistry; David Sudol, principal research scientist in the Emulsion Polymers Institute; and Eric Daniels, EPI research scientist.