Thomas H. Epps III facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thomas H. Epps, III
at the 2016 APS March Meeting
Alma mater	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS, MS) University of Minnesota (PhD)
Known for	Polymer chemistry, polymer physics, polymer science
Awards	Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (2021)
Scientific career
Institutions	University of Delaware
Thesis	Locating network phases in linear ABC triblock copolymers (2004)
Doctoral advisor	Frank S. Bates

Thomas H. Epps, III is an American chemist. He is a professor at the University of Delaware. He teaches about chemical and biological engineering. He also works with materials science and biomedical engineering.

Professor Epps leads several important research centers. He directs the Center for Research in Soft Matter & Polymers. He also leads the Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials. This center gets support from the National Science Foundation. He also helps direct the Center for Plastics Innovations. This center is supported by the United States Department of Energy.

His research focuses on designing and creating special materials called polymers. These polymers have tiny structures inside them. He uses them for many things. This includes materials made from plants, delivering medicines, and new types of batteries. He also works on special gear for personal protection. He is also a founder of Lignolix. This company turns waste from plants into useful materials.

Early Life and Education

Thomas Epps, III was born to parents who were also professors. His mother, Ruth Epps, taught accounting. His father, Thomas H. Epps, Jr, taught chemistry. Thomas grew up in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

He went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for his first college degree. He was one of the first students chosen for the American Chemical Society Minority Scholar program. He stayed at MIT to earn a master's degree in chemical engineering in 1999.

After MIT, he went to the University of Minnesota. There, he earned his PhD. His advisor was Frank S. Bates. After finishing his PhD, Epps worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. He was a special research fellow there.

Research and Career

In 2006, Professor Epps joined the University of Delaware. Here, he studies how to make tiny structures using polymers. Polymers are like long chains made of smaller units. He works with special polymers called block copolymers. These are made of two or more different types of units.

Professor Epps designs these block copolymers. He makes them assemble into tiny structures. These structures have very specific shapes and sizes. They can be used for many different things.

In 2013, he was a special visiting professor at MIT. He worked with Timothy M. Swager. They studied how polymers can put themselves together.

In 2016, Professor Epps found a way to make new polymers. He used waste materials from the paper industry. He received a large grant from the National Science Foundation. This money helped him find new ways to make materials from lignin. Lignin is a natural material found in plants.

He talked about his new program. He said they want to make things more sustainable. This means thinking about how new materials affect the environment. He also started a company called Lignolix. This company makes sustainable materials from plant waste. Lignolix won a competition at the University of Delaware in 2019.

Professor Epps has also worked on polymers for lithium-ion batteries. The polymer acts like the liquid inside the battery. It helps stop sparks and fires. Polymers also help batteries charge and discharge quickly. They create tiny paths for ions to move fast.

In 2020, Professor Epps became a director of the United States Department of Energy Center for Plastics Innovation. He leads this center with LaShanda Korley. The center brings together scientists from different universities. They work on turning plastic waste into new useful materials.

Also in 2020, Epps became the director of UD CHARM. This is the University of Delaware's Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials. It is supported by the National Science Foundation. This center also brings together researchers from different places.

Awards and Honours

Professor Epps has received many awards for his work:

• 2021 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors
• 2021 Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
• 2020 National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers Percy L. Julian Award
• 2020 American Chemical Society Prominent African American Chemists
• 2018 Elected fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
• 2017 Elected fellow of the American Physical Society
• 2016 American Physical Society John H. Dillon Medal
• 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Owens Corning Young Investigator Award
• 2014 Kavli Foundation Fellow of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
• 2014 Sigma Xi Young Investigator Award
• 2012 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professor
• 2010 DuPont Professor Award
• 2009 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers