John LaGraff

John LaGraff is a Professor of Practice in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), where he has worked since 2004. He concurrently served as a Lecturer in Chemistry and Biochemistry at Siena College (2005–2017), teaching General and Environmental Chemistry. His professional background includes a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemistry at the University of Illinois, and industry roles at TRW Space and Defense (Northrop Grumman) and GE Global R&D. He holds eight US patents in microelectronic processing, combinatorial chemistry, and advanced jet engine coatings.

Research interests span materials science, nanotechnology, surface science, and thin film engineering. His work focuses on advanced materials characterization techniques (e.g., AFM, SEM), protein structure imaging, superconductivity, and industrial applications like coatings for aerospace components. Over 60 invited/contributed talks and 30+ publications (books, papers, chapters) highlight his contributions to interdisciplinary materials research.

His lab coordination role in ENGR1600 (Materials Science for Engineers) underscores his commitment to education. Major projects include microcontact printing of antibodies, ion implantation in superconductors, and nanoscale surface modification mechanisms.