Rachel Segalman

Rachel Segalman is a Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and the E. N. Kramer Professor of Materials at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). She is affiliated with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and holds fellowships from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Physical Society (APS), among others. Her research focuses on macromolecular and biomolecular materials, energy sustainability, and structure-property relationships in soft matter systems.

Dr. Segalman earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her PhD in Chemical Engineering from UCSB. Her work bridges polymer physics, electrochemistry, and nanotechnology, with applications in battery electrolytes, EUV lithography, and antifouling coatings.

Her research interests center on structure control in soft materials, including ion transport in polymer electrolytes, biomaterials design, and energy-efficient materials. She investigates how molecular and nanoscale structural features influence properties like conductivity, mechanical strength, and interfacial behavior.

Notable awards include the Andreas Acrivos Award for Chemical Engineering, the DOE Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award, and PECASE. Her recent work emphasizes EUV lithography photoresist design, compatibilized polymer blends, and sustainable materials processing.

Her grants and collaborations span energy storage, materials characterization, and advanced manufacturing. She leads efforts in developing next-generation electrolytes and precision polymers for semiconductor applications. Her lab's innovations include novel hydrogel devices and ion-conducting polymer complexes for high-performance batteries.