Norman J. Wagner

Norman J. Wagner holds the Unidel Robert L. Pigford Chair in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Delaware, with affiliations in Physics & Astronomy, Biomedical Engineering, and Biomechanics & Movement Science. He directs the Center for Neutron Science (CNS) and served as CBE Department Chair (2007–2012). His research focuses on rheology of complex fluids, colloids, polymers, and nanotechnology, with applications to space materials and biomedical systems.

Education: B.S. from Carnegie Mellon (1984), Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Princeton (1988). Postdoctoral fellowships at Los Alamos National Lab and the University of Stuttgart (Germany). Visiting professorships at ETH Zurich (1997) and University of Rome (2004).

Research spans shear thickening fluids, neutron scattering, and protein formulation stability. Key contributions include commercializing STF-based body armor and developing novel rheological instruments. Over 200 publications and patents highlight his work in soft matter physics and materials science.

Notable awards: National Academy of Engineering membership (2015), Bingham Medal (2014), Siple Award (2002). Editorial roles include AIChE Journal (Soft Matter Section) and multiple international journals. Active in neutron science leadership, including Neutron Scattering Society of America.

Labs/Teams: Center for Neutron Science, STF Technologies LLC (co-founded 2003). Current projects include lunar exploration materials, geopolymer cements, and biomedical fluid dynamics.