Lei Zhu

Lei Zhu, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering at the Case School of Engineering, Case Western Reserve University. He serves as a Principal Investigator focusing on developing high-energy and high-performance polymers through the interplay of structure, property, and processing. His research interests span polymer science and engineering, undergraduate/graduate education, and outreach to K-12 schools.

Dr. Zhu holds a PhD in Polymer Science from the University of Akron (2000), and MS (1996) and BS (1993) degrees in Macromolecular Science and Materials Chemistry from Fudan University, Shanghai. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Maurice Morton Institute and the Department of Polymer Science at the University of Akron (2002).

His research emphasizes dielectric polymers for energy storage, ferroelectric materials, and polymer nanocomposites. Notable achievements include pioneering work on high-κ dipolar glass polymers and self-healing multilayer capacitors. He has received prestigious awards such as the NSF CAREER Award (2004) and the DuPont Young Professor Award (2005).

Publications highlight advancements in polymer dielectrics, electrostriction in ferroelectric polymers, and nanoconfined crystallization techniques. His work bridges fundamental science and applied engineering, with applications in electronics, energy storage, and biomaterials.

Dr. Zhu has consulted for PolymerPlus, LLC from 2011 to 2019. His contributions to teaching include the Rogers Teaching Excellence Award (2005) and a focus on problem-solving training for graduate students.