Michael Solomon

Michael Solomon is a Professor of Chemical Engineering and Macromolecular Science & Engineering at the University of Michigan. He serves as Dean of the Rackham School of Graduate Studies and Vice-Provost for Academic Affairs in Graduate Studies. As a member of the Biointerfaces Institute, his research explores complex fluids and soft matter, focusing on colloidal self-assembly, gelation, active matter, and bacterial biofilm biomechanics. He holds a PhD from UC Berkeley (1996) and a BS from University of Wisconsin–Madison (1990).

• PhD, University of California, Berkeley (1996)
• Bachelor of Science, University of Wisconsin–Madison (1990)
• Visiting Student, Université d'Aix-Marseille II (1990-1991)

His research investigates soft materials with properties between fluids and solids, aiming to create autonomously reconfigurable materials for optical applications, biomedical devices, and energy management. Current work includes colloidal crystallization, structural color, and biofilm mechanics.

Key grants include the NSF Center for Complex Particle Systems (2023-2028), NIH grants on biofilm dissemination (2023-2028) and thermal infection therapy (2014-2019), and multiple NSF awards for graduate STEM participation and colloidal gel studies. Notable awards include the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program and CSGrad4US NSF Fellowship.

He leads the Biointerfaces Institute's research on colloidal systems and collaborates across disciplines on topics like yield-stress fluids, particle microdynamics, and biofilm-rheology. His lab develops methods for electric field-assisted assembly and structural color tuning.