Lucian Amerigo Lucia

Dr. Lucian Amerigo Lucia serves as a Full Professor in the Department of Forest Biomaterials and Chemistry at North Carolina State University. He also holds faculty positions in the programs of Fiber & Polymer Science and Environmental Sciences. Additionally, he maintains international appointments as Professor at South China University of Technology and Federal University of Amazonas in Brazil, and as Honorary Distinguished Professor at Qilu University of Technology in China.

• Professor, NC State University (Current)
• Professor, South China University of Technology (2003-Present)
• Professor, Federal University of Amazonas (2006-Present)
• Honorary Distinguished Professor, Qilu University of Technology (2014-2021)

Dr. Lucia received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Florida, where he researched modeling photoinduced charge separation states of novel Rhenium (I)-based organometallic ensembles as a first-order approximation of photosynthesis. He began his professional career as an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Paper Science and Technology at the Georgia Institute of Technology, examining the mechanism of singlet oxygen's chemistry with lignin & cellulose.

Dr. Lucia's research focuses on green chemistry of renewable polymers, with particular emphasis on the chemical modification of cellulosics for biomedical applications. His laboratory, The Laboratory of Soft Materials & Green Chemistry, probes fundamental materials science topics in this area. He has co-founded and co-edits the open-access international research journal BioResources, dedicated to original research on lignocellulosic materials.

His recent publications span topics including sustainable packaging, nanocellulosic materials, bio-based barrier layers, and chemical analyses of polymer surface abrasion. His work shows a strong trend toward developing sustainable, biodegradable alternatives to conventional materials, with applications in food packaging, biomedical devices, and environmental remediation.

• Fulbright Scholar (Brazil)

Dr. Lucia teaches courses including Forest Biomaterials Chemistry (WPS 723), From Papyrus to Plasma Screens: Paper & Society (PSE 220), Green Chemistry (PSE/CH 335), and the FB Graduate Student Seminar Series (WPS 590/790) at NCSU, while also teaching Wood Chemistry and Green Chemistry at Qilu University of Technology in China.

His laboratory, The Laboratory of Soft Materials & Green Chemistry, brings together interdisciplinary researchers working at the intersection of chemistry, materials science, and sustainability. The lab has developed several innovative approaches for modifying cellulose and other renewable polymers for advanced applications.