AC 2011-127: OPTIMIZATION PROBLEMS FOR ALL LEVELS

Robin Hissam received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from Virginia Tech. The focus of her research as both an undergraduate and graduate at Virginia Tech was polymer physics, in particular, the crystallization of polymers. Robin joined the Materials Science and Engineering department at the University of Delaware as a PhD candidate in 2001, where her research under Dr. Kristi Kiick involved the design, synthesis and characterization of protein polymers for applications in toxin inhibition. Graduating in 2006, Robin joined the group of Dr. Kimberly Woodhouse in Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto for a two year postdoctoral fellowship. The research in Toronto looked at the possible application of elastin-based protein polymers for drug delivery vehicles. For her work in this area, Robin received a scholarship from the Advanced Regenerative Tissue Engineering Centre. At West Virginia University, Robin is continuing her work in production of protein polymers for application in tissue engineering, biomineralization, and biosensors.