Robin Selinger

Professor Robin Selinger is a distinguished faculty member at Kent State University's Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, where she has been working since 2005. She holds appointments in both the Physics and Materials Science programs, contributing significantly to interdisciplinary research at the intersection of theoretical physics and materials science.

Her educational background includes a complete academic trajectory at Harvard University, where she earned her A.B. Cum Laude in Physics (1984), followed by an A.M. in Physics (1986), and ultimately a Ph.D. in Physics (1989). This strong foundation has supported her distinguished career in theoretical and computational physics.

Prof. Selinger's research focuses on theoretical and computational studies of liquid crystals and other soft materials, with particular emphasis on topological defects and their role in transport, microstructure, and shape evolution. Her recent work explores liquid crystal elastomers as novel stimuli-responsive materials that can be programmed to undergo autonomous deformation when heated or illuminated. She also investigates 'materials by design,' complex defect microstructures in nematic liquid crystals driven by surface anchoring patterns, and mechanisms controlling cooperative chiral order and symmetry-breaking. A significant portion of her research involves theoretical work funded by the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation on strain-induced nematic order in biological materials.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on topological defects in liquid crystal systems, particularly disclination networks and their applications in materials design. Her work spans fundamental theoretical investigations to applied research in soft robotics and responsive materials, demonstrating a consistent theme of connecting molecular-scale phenomena to macroscopic material properties and behaviors.

• Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) in 2016
• Elected to APS Council as General Councilor for 2019-2022
• Elected to APS Board of Directors for 2020-2022
• Speaker of the APS Council for 2022
• Past-Speaker and advisor to the Council in 2023

Prof. Selinger has secured substantial research funding from multiple sources including NSF-DMR, NSF-CMMI, NSF-DUE, NSF-CAREER, the U.S. Navy, the Petroleum Research Fund of the American Chemical Society, and most recently the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation. Her research program supports multiple graduate students and postdoctoral researchers working at the cutting edge of soft matter physics. She has also contributed significantly to the field through editorial work, having served as guest editor for the MRS Bulletin in 2000 and co-edited several books on fracture mechanics and materials science.

Her work is conducted primarily through Kent State University's Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, a world-renowned center for liquid crystal research. Her collaborations extend internationally, including with researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Naval Research Laboratory, and various international institutions, reflecting the global impact of her research in soft matter physics.