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SANAT K. KUMAR

Career Highlights

Professor Kumar is a Primary Investigator (PI) in NSF-NSEC joint efforts across RPI and UIUC. He is also a PI in two GOAL1 programs at RPI. Kumar was a PI in an NSF-MRSEC and NSF-IGERT at Pennsylvania State University (PSU). Dr. Kumar was also a founding member of the "Ask Dr. Science" web site at PSU, designed to answer science questions from the general public . Kumar has been on the Editorial Commitee of the Journal of Polymer Science and Polymer Physics. He was the Head of the Program Advisory Committee, National Center for Neutron Research, NIST. Kumar served on the Executive Committee, Division of Polymer Physics, American Physical Society. Executive committee, Area 1a (Thermodynamics), American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Executive Committee, Computational Materials Science and Engineering Forum, and American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Research Areas

Professor Kumar's research focuses on Synthetic-and bio-polymers, nano composites and nanomaterials. Hiw work impacts the fields of biochemical engineering, composite materials, interfacial phenomena, nanotechnology, and polymers.

Selected Publications

• E. Reister, M. Muller, S.K. Kumar, "Equilibrium phase behavior of polybutadiene/polyisoprene films: Binodals and spinodals," Macromolecules 38 (12): 5158-5169 (2005)
• H.S. Ashbaugh, H.A. Patel, S.K. Kumar, et al., "Mesoscale model of polymer melt structure: Self-consistent mapping of molecular correlations to coarse-grained potentials," Journal of Chemical Physics 122 (10): 104908 (2005)
• T. Desai, P. Keblinski, S.K. Kumar, "Molecular dynamics simulations of polymer transport in nanocomposites," Journal of Chemical Physics 122 (13): 134910 (2005)
• S. Sen, S.K. Kumar, P. Keblinski, "Viscoelastic properties of polymer melts from equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations," Macromolecules 38 (3): 650-653 (2005)
• M.P. Nieh, S.K. Kumar, R.H. Fernando, et al., "Effect of the hydrophilic size on the structural phases of aqueous nonionic Gemini surfactant solutions," Langmuir 20 (21): 9061-9068 (2004)
• A. Indrakanti, R.L. Jones, S.K. Kumar, "Do "nonequilibrium" effects control strong surface segregation from polymer blends?" Macromolecules 37 (1): 9-12 (2004)
• R. Kant, S. K. Kumar, R.H. Colby, "What length scales control the dynamics of miscible polymer blends?" Macromolecules 36 (26): 10087-10094 (2003)
• P. G. Kevrikidis, S. K. Kumar, and I. G. Kevrikidis, "An Exploding Glass?" Phys. Lett. A, 318, 364 (2003)
• S.K. Kamath, R.H. Colby, and Kumar S.K., "Dynamic Heterogeneity in Miscible Polymer Blends with Stiffness Disparity: A Computer Simulation Study," Macromolecules, 36, 567 (2003)
• S. Granick, S.K. Kumar, E.J. Amis, et al., "Polymers at Surfaces: Research Challenges and Opportunities from Tribology to Biology," C. J., Polym. Sci. Polym. Phys., 41, 2755 (2003)
• S.K. Kumar, "Gelation in physically associating polymer solutions," Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society 226: U390-U390 (2003)
• S. K. Kumar, S. Garde, J.F. Douglas, et al., "Structural signatures of vitrification in hard core fluids," Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society 226: U274-U274 (2003)

Professional Appointments

2002-Present		Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
2001-02		Professor of Materials Science & Professor of Chemical Engineering (PSU)
1997-02		Professor of Materials Science (PSU)
1993-97		Associate Professor of Materials Science (PSU)
1988-93		Assistant Professor of Materials Science. Pennsylvania State University (PSU), University Park, PA
1987-1988		Postdoctoral Researcher, International Business Machines, Polymer Physics

Professional Preparation

Massachusetts Institute of Technology		Chemical Engineering		ScD 1987
Massachusetts Institute of Technology		Chemical Engineering		S.M. 1984
Indian Institute of Technology		Chemical Engineering		B. Tech 1981