Mahesh Mahanthappa is an associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota, with a graduate affiliate faculty appointment in chemistry. The Mahanthappa group leverages chemical synthesis and physical materials characterization to identify new methods for manipulating block copolymer and lyotropic liquid crystal self-assembly into unique morphologies that manifest unusual bulk properties. Specific targets of interest include the development of degradable block copolymers and surfactants, electrochemically stable single-ion conductors for battery applications, and advanced molecular filtrations membranes.
As an undergrad, Mahesh received his BS in chemistry and mathematics at the University of Colorado in 1997. As a Hertz Fellow at Stanford University, Mahesh studied the mechanisms of half-metallocene olefin polymerization catalysts under the supervision of Professor Robert M. Waymouth. Upon completion of his PhD in 2003, Mahesh moved to a postdoctoral position at the University of Minnesota to work with Professors Frank S. Bates and Marc A. Hillmyer on aspects of block copolymer phase behavior and mechanical properties of polyolefin multiblock copolymers. Professor Mahanthappa joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin, Madison Department of Chemistry in 2006 and was promoted to the rank of associate professor in 2012.
Mahesh has received an NSF CAREER Award (2008-13), a 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award, the Emil H. Steiger Distinguished Teaching Award and the James Taylor Teaching Award at UW-Madison. In addition, in 2013 he received the American Physical Society Dillon Medal in Polymer Physics. Mahesh is from Boulder, Colorado.
