Rachel A. Segalman

Rachel A. Segalman is the Kramer Professor of Materials and Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). She holds dual affiliations in the Materials Department and Chemical Engineering Department within UCSB's College of Engineering. Her research focuses on structure-property relationships in soft matter systems, spanning energy materials, biomaterials, conjugated polymers, and polymeric ionic liquids.

Segalman earned her B.S. from the University of Texas at Austin and her Ph.D. from UCSB. Her honors include AAAS Fellowship, American Physical Society Fellowship, and the John H. Dillon Medal. Current research emphasizes molecular-to-nanoscale control of materials for applications in solar energy, biomaterials, and electronic devices.

Her group's recent work includes compatibilizing polymer blends through ionic interactions, optimizing conjugated polyelectrolyte properties, and advancing polymer blend electrolytes. She advises graduate students like Shawn Mengel, who recently defended his thesis. Segalman also serves as UCSB's Vice Chancellor for Research.