Dr. Kendra Erk, Assistant Professor of Materials Engineering, was recently named TA Instruments’ Distinguished Young Rheologist for 2014. Dr. Erk received the award in recognition of her early career achievements in the field of experimental rheology. 

Award recipients are nominated by an international panel of academic researchers from The Society of Rheology, including four Bingham Medal recipients. The Distinguished Young Rheologist program is designed to help accelerate the research of new academics through grants for rheometer systems. Dr. Erk is one of two recipients of this years’  award, along with Dr. Kelly Schultz from Lehigh University.

"The rheology market is dynamic, growing, and has penetrated every industry and region of the world. Our markets are demanding more research across a broad range of applications. The Distinguished Young Rheologist award supports our commitment to strong partnerships with the academic community. Dr. Erk’s and Dr. Schultz’s research programs demonstrate the critical role that rheological characterization plays in the development of new materials” commented Terry Kelly, President of TA Instruments. See the full press release here: http://www.tainstruments.com/ta-instruments-names-dr-kendra-erk-and-dr-kelly-schultz-as-distinguished-young-rheologists/

Dr. Erk’s research is devoted to characterizing the structure-property-processing relationships of soft materials and complex fluids with important engineering relevance, including superabsorbent polymer gels used as internal curing agents in high-performance concrete, polymer and surfactant systems used for enhanced oil recovery, and polymer-tethered nanoparticles used for roll-to-roll manufacturing of thin film plastic materials. Her research group employs advanced bulk and interfacial rheophysical techniques to measure the mechanics and flow behavior of these material systems, with an emphasis on linking the material’s rheological properties to its molecular-level structure. For more information about Dr. Erk and her research group, please visit http://soft-material-mechanics.squarespace.com/