Christopher Bates

Christopher Bates serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Materials at the University of California, Santa Barbara within the College of Engineering, actively leading experimental research at the chemistry-materials science interface.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin
• B.S. in Chemistry, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Research Focus: Professor Bates' group designs and characterizes soft matter systems through synthetic and physical techniques, with current projects emphasizing block polymer self-assembly for nanoscale patterning, novel elastomeric materials development, and thin film engineering applications. This work bridges fundamental molecular design with technological implementation in advanced materials.

Academic Leadership: He advises doctoral candidates including Dr. Elizabeth Murphy who successfully defended her thesis in March 2025, maintaining active supervision within the Materials Department's graduate program.

Research Infrastructure: The Bates Group operates from laboratory space in the Materials Research Lab (room 3101), conducting hands-on experimental work while collaborating across UCSB's engineering and science disciplines.