Gary Leal

Gary Leal is Research Professor and Professor Emeritus of Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara, within the Robert Mehrabian College of Engineering. A member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the American Physical Society, AIChE, Society of Rheology, and American Academy of Arts & Sciences, he has spent decades investigating the dynamics of complex fluids including polymer solutions, emulsions, foams, and liquid-crystalline polymers.

Education:

• B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, 1965
• M.S. Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, 1968
• Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, 1969

Research Interests:

Leal's current work centers on microstructure–flow coupling in complex fluids. Using a blend of large-scale computation and advanced experimental techniques (many unique to his laboratory), his group studies coalescence, thin-film stability, surfactant effects, nanoparticle-laden interfaces, and the nonlinear rheology of entangled polymers and liquid-crystalline systems. A strong emphasis is placed on quantitative prediction of macroscopic properties from molecular and mesoscale physics.

His recent publications reveal sustained leadership in shear banding, flow-induced concentration fluctuations, and orientation imaging via Rheo-SANS. Collectively these works advance the multiscale modeling of soft materials undergoing industrial processing flows and provide diagnostic tools to fingerprint microstructural evolution in real time.

Honors & Awards:

• Bingham Medal (Society of Rheology, 2001)
• Fluid Dynamics Prize (American Physical Society, 2002)
• G.I. Taylor Medal (Society of Engineering Science, 2015)
• Fellow of APS, AIChE, Society of Rheology, AAAS
• National Academy of Engineering Member since 1987
• Dozens of named lectureships including Batchelor, Mason, Lacey, Finlayson, and more

Grants & Teams:

While specific grant numbers are not cited, Leal has continuously led large, multi-investigator projects—evidenced by NASA Group Achievement Awards, NSF/DOE citations in articles, and extensive experimental facilities. His team operates a multifaceted laboratory coupling rheometry, microfluidic four-roll mills, custom tensiometers, and neutron/x-ray scattering beamlines, maintaining collaborations with national laboratories and international centers for soft-matter research.