UA brings polymer science, engineering to undergraduates, selects new dean

AKRON—The University of Akron is giving its students the opportunity to build a strong foundation in the polymer industry as it becomes the first public university in Ohio to offer an undergraduate degree in polymer science and polymer engineering.

The Bachelor of Science in Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering program will begin in fall 2022 and will be ideal for students with interests in technical solutions to sustainability, materials science, processing, soft-matter physics and biomaterials, the university said in an April 8 news release.

Undergraduates in this new program will learn analytical techniques and design, UA said, and will have access to the 25 polymer research labs within the School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering. Previously, the university offered such polymer degrees only to its master's and doctoral students.

Students enrolled in the undergraduate program also will have access to advising, career services and tutoring, as well as participation in design teams, student organizations—like the Polymer Student Organization—and the university's Co-op and Placement Program.

The university also announced it selected Craig Menzemer, to be the dean of the College of Engineering and Polymer Science, effective April 1. The appointment is pending approval of the university's Board of Trustees, according to an April 11 news release. Menzemer has served as the college's interim dean since 2018.

"Dr. Menzemer's leadership in the College of Engineering and Polymer Science has been critical to the success of moving the college and university forward," said John Wiencek, executive vice president and provost. "The University's engineering and polymer programs have global reputations for groundbreaking research and innovative technology that have made the world a better place to live for all of us. We are grateful that Dr. Menzemer is continuing as dean of the college, especially with his wealth of experience that will benefit our students and future work force."

As dean, Menzemer is responsible for the day-to-day functions of the college, including curriculum development, student assessment, recruitment and budgeting. As its leader, he steered efforts to improve the infrastructure of the college and managed the reorganization of three colleges and an academic unit into the College of Engineering and Polymer Science. He also developed five-year bachelor's and master's programs and helped to develop and conceive the Timken Foundation Center for Precision Manufacturing on campus.

"It is an honor to continue to serve our students and the University of Akron community as dean," Menzemer said. "UA has a rich history of academic excellence, and the College of Engineering and Polymer Science is at the heart of that tradition of excellence."

Menzemer has nearly 40 years of experience in industry and in higher education. He joined UA in 1996 as a faculty member in the Department of Civil Engineering before briefly serving as interim assistant dean and then associate dean from 2010-18. In 2018, Menzemer was appointed interim dean and partially maintained his role in the classroom as a professor of civil engineering. Prior to academia, Menzemer spent 14 years working in industry for United States Steel Corp. and Alcoa.

Menzemer earned his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees, all in civil engineering, from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

As for the addition of the undergraduate polymer science and polymer engineering program, Menzemer said the move was "an obvious next step for the college."

"This degree was established to augment our strength in polymers and material science and provide educational opportunities for the full spectrum of students," he said. "Polymers have long been entwined with the Akron community, and the University of Akron has served as an international leader in polymer graduate education."

The university was recently ranked No. 1 in polymer science and plastics engineering programs by EduRank, a global ranking site.

The college's history in polymers started in 1909, when C.M. Knight taught the world's first course in rubber chemistry on campus, the university said. UA launched the first Ph.D. program in polymer chemistry in 1956. Since then, it added, the campus programs have grown and diversified alongside the polymer industry.