By Stella Katsipoutis-Varkanis
Photo by Adam Atkinson
From the healing of a cut on human skin to the opening and closing of pores in plant leaves, the remarkable materials all around us inspire innovative and sustainable solutions to contemporary engineering challenges. Designing synthetic analogs that mimic natural processes enables the development of new materials that enhance performance while reducing environmental impact.
In her most recent research, Melissa Gordon ’11—associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering—has looked to nature for inspiration to design polymeric materials offering desirable characteristics such as response to environmental stimuli, improved safety, and sustainability. As the keynote speaker delivering the Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Faculty Lecture Tuesday, Nov. 12, Gordon will introduce how nature can serve as inspiration for developing—at the molecular level—smart and sustainable materials with diverse potential applications, such as drug delivery and sustainable plastic packaging. Gordon will also discuss several research projects involving Lafayette students in the areas of bio-inspired and bio-based polymers, and how these projects positively impacted undergraduate researchers, graduate students considering faculty careers at primarily undergraduate institutions, and Lafayette classrooms.
“I’m honored to have been selected to deliver this lecture,” Gordon says. “In my career thus far, I have integrated my teaching and research efforts, strengthening them both, and I hope to share that in my lecture.” Gordon says she is especially excited to share the new materials she and her students have developed using nature-inspired design. “I have always been fascinated by developing materials that never existed before and applying my skill set to collaborate with others. I’ve enjoyed sharing that fascination with students in the lab and classroom, and I hope to share that with everyone who attends the event.”
Gordon adds that all are welcome to the lecture, especially anyone who is interested in how new materials are developed to help solve health and environmental challenges. Provost Laura McGrane says the talk, which is free and open to the public, will be a highlight of the semester: “The 2024 Jones Faculty Lecture is a wonderful opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to learn from Prof. Gordon, an esteemed colleague, mentor, and teacher. Prof. Gordon’s scholarship demonstrates how nature can inspire scientific innovations that mitigate harms to the human body and the planet. She is also an amazing adviser, sending a new generation of Lafayette student-scholars out into the world.”
The talk is sponsored by the Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Faculty Lecture and Awards Fund, established in 1966 to recognize superior teaching and scholarship at Lafayette.
