Gregory Miller

Email: gregcm1@vt.edu

Cell Phone: 601-470-7058

Professional Summary

To utilize my polymer instrumental, synthesis, and processing experience through a company that has an

established history of innovation and technical development.

Training and Experience

Instruments

Dynamic Light Scattering

Static Light Scattering

Size Exclusion Chromatography

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Multi-inlet Vortex Mixer

Thermal Gravimetric Analysis

Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Tensile Testing (INSTRON)

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

Dynamic Mechanical Analysis

Capillary Rheometry

Polymer Systems

Poly(lactic acid) copolymers

Polypeptide copolymers

Poly(arylene ether ketone)s

Polysulfone block copolymers

Plasticized polyacrylonitrile copolymers for

melt processing synthesized via solution or

emulsion polymerization

Education

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University – Blacksburg, VA Graduation: Spring 2017

Ph.D.: Macromolecular Science and Engineering GPA – 3.4

Advisor: Dr. Judy Riffle

University of Southern Mississippi – Hattiesburg, MS Graduated 2012

Bachelor of Science: Polymer Science and High Performance Materials GPA – 3.7

Advisor: Dr. Kenneth Mauritz, Dr. Daniel Savin

For my senior project, I synthesized lysine based polypeptide copolymers for drug delivery applications and characterized

them by dynamic and static light scattering. UV-Vis spectroscopy was used to determine the drug release profile of

doxorubicin.

Publications and Presentations

Liu Q., Shaver A.T., Chen Y., Miller G., Paul D.R., Riffle J.S., McGrath J.E., and Freeman B.D. “Effect of UV irradiation and physical

aging on O2 and N2 transport properties of thin glassy poly(arylene ether ketone) copolymer films based on tetramethyl bisphenol A

and 4,4′-difluorobenzophenone”. Polymer 2016;87:202-214.

“The Melt Processing of Polyacrylonitrile Based Carbon Fiber Precursors.” 2016; 12th National Graduate Research Polymer Conference; Poster Presentation. “The Melt Processing of Polyacrylonitrile Based Carbon Fiber Precursors.” 2016; SERMACS; Presentation Talk. Shaver A.T., Moon J.D., Savacool D.R., Zhang W., Narang G., Miller G., Vondrasek B., Lesko J.J., Freeman B.D., McGrath J.E., Riffle J.S. “Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) Blends with a Poly(arylene ether ketone) for Gas Separation Membranes.”

Polymer 2017; In Progress. Miller, G. C., Yu, J., Baird, D., Riffle, J. S. "The Melt Processing of Polyacrylonitrile Based Carbon Fiber Precursors." Polymer 2017;

In Progress.

Work History

Graduate Research Assistant Virginia Tech Chemistry Department 12/2012 to Present

I synthesized Poly(lactic acid-co-ethylene oxide) for potential drug delivery applications. Using a multi-inlet vortex mixer,

I was able to make micelle-like polymeric clusters to of uniform size to encapsulate guest molecules such as doxorubicin

and magnetite nanoparticles, to create theranostic agents. The polymer clusters were characterized by dynamic light

scattering, nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron spectroscopy, and T1-weighted magnetic resonance

imaging.

I have gained significant polymer characterization experience by characterizing the thermal, mechanical, and conductivity

properties of many projects within the Riffle group. With each system, I work with my colleagues to understand the data

and determine the best way to convey the information to others.

Utilizing weak base, nucleophilic aromatic substitution, I synthesized poly(arylene ether ketone) for gas separation

applications and poly(arylene ether sulfone) copolymers for polyelectrolyte applications. Through this work, I contributed to

a patent for UV-crosslinkable polymeric gas separation membranes.

Undergraduate Research Assistant Southern Miss Polymer Department 10/2010 to 7/2012

In Dr. Kenneth Mauritz’s lab, I synthesized random and multi-block polysulfone systems using polycondensation methods

for polyelectrolyte applications. The copolymers were characterized by various thermal, mechanical, spectroscopic

techniques.

In Dr. Dan Savin’s lab, I synthesized block copolymers of polypropylene oxide and l-lysine using N-carboxyanhydride

ring-opening chemistry for potential drug delivery applications. Extensive characterization of the polypeptide copolymers

was done using both dynamic and static light scattering.

Ongoing Projects

There is a need for reduced fuel permeability in proton exchange membranes for water electrolysis applications; I am

synthesizing a crosslinkable hydrophobic block to be polymerized with a disulfonated hydrophilic block. I then solvent cast

the material via NMP or DMAc and further treat for optimal performance. I then characterize the material’s thermal,

mechanical, and conductive properties.

The state of the art process for creating carbon fibers from polyacrylonitrile is to spin the fibers from organic solvent,

however solvent based processing can be very expensive and environmentally unfriendly. Consequently, there is

significant interest in melt-processable polyacrylonitrile fibers, but the melting temperature overlaps with the onset

temperature of degradation by cross-linking. My work is to achieve melt processability of the carbon fiber precursor by

looking new polyacrylonitrile copolymers and their compatibility with a series of plasticizers. I then perform thermal and

rheological characterization to identify the difference among the potential plasticizers. This project is a collaboration

between Virginia Tech’s chemistry and chemical engineering departments as well as Oak Ridge National Laboratory.