Glenn FredricksonView profile
Professor
Glenn Fredrickson is a distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of California Santa Barbara, holding the Mitsubishi Chemical Professorship. He serves as Director of both the Mitsubishi Chemical Center for Advanced Materials and the Complex Fluids Design Consortium at UCSB. His research has established him as a leading theoretical polymer scientist with significant contributions to the field of complex fluids and soft matter physics. Dr. Fredrickson received his BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida, followed by MS and PhD degrees in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University (1984). His academic journey includes positions at AT&T Bell Laboratories (1984-1990), where he rose to Distinguished Member of Technical Staff, before joining UCSB in 1991. He has held various leadership roles at UCSB, including Chairman of Chemical Engineering (1998-2001) and Associate Director of the Materials Research Laboratory (2004-2008). Professor Fredrickson's research focuses on the theoretical analysis of complex fluids and polymers, with particular expertise in block copolymers and self-assembling systems. His group has pioneered the "Field-Theoretic Simulation" technique, a powerful computational approach for simulating statistical field theory models of complex polymer systems. This work bridges fundamental theoretical understanding with practical applications in materials design, particularly for advanced membrane technologies, nanoscale patterning, and soft material engineering. His research spans from fundamental statistical mechanics to applied materials science, with strong connections to experimental collaborators worldwide. Dr. Fredrickson's scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including election to both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. He has received the Materials Theory Award from the Materials Research Society, the William H. Walker Award from the AIChE, and the Polymer Physics Prize from the American Physical Society, among many other honors. His work has established him as a leader in theoretical polymer science and soft matter physics. As an advisor, Professor Fredrickson has mentored numerous postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduates through his active research group at UCSB. His collaborative approach extends to industry partnerships, particularly through the Mitsubishi Chemical Center for Advanced Materials and the Complex Fluids Design Consortium, which facilitate translational research from fundamental discovery to practical applications. His research has been consistently supported by major grants from NSF, DOE, and industry partners. The Fredrickson Research Group operates within the Materials Research Laboratory at UCSB, maintaining strong connections with the Department of Chemical Engineering and the broader Materials department. The group collaborates extensively with experimental teams both within UCSB and internationally, creating a vibrant research ecosystem focused on advancing the theoretical understanding of soft matter systems. Current research directions include the application of machine learning to polymer physics, quantum fluid simulations, and the design of novel polymeric materials for energy and biomedical applications.
