Joseph Keene

Dr. Joseph Keene serves as Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the Chemistry Department within Mercer University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, where his research bridges fundamental physical chemistry with defense applications.

His educational foundation includes a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University and B.S. from Wake Forest University, establishing expertise in nanomaterial characterization and surface phenomena.

Research centers on semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots), investigating thermodynamics of surface modifications through calorimetry-based ligand exchange studies and developing portable spectroscopic techniques for nanomaterial composition analysis. His DoD-funded work addresses corrosion prevention, chemical/biological/radiological/nuclear (CBRN) agent challenges, and composite repairs for U.S. Air Force aircraft systems.

Publication trends reveal dual emphases: quantum dot photophysics (carrier dynamics, surface defects, plasmonic enhancements) and innovative educational models for undergraduate nanomaterials research, particularly through the national Primarily Undergraduate Nanomaterials Cooperative initiative.

Active research grants from the Mercer Engineering Research Center and Department of Defense support his laboratory's defense-related materials science projects, while his educational publications demonstrate commitment to modernizing instrumental analysis pedagogy.

His laboratory operates within Mercer's Godsey Science Center, focusing on adaptable nanomaterial characterization methods that serve both fundamental science and field-deployable defense applications through collaborative networks like PUNC.