Thomas H. Epps III and LaShanda Korley

Abstract

Thomas H. Epps III and LaShanda Korley can’t seem to escape each other’s gravity. The two polymer scientists first met at a conference more than 2 decades ago, as students. Soon after, they each emerged as rising stars in the field of soft matter. “I think it really does come from the ability to trust and support one another,” Korley says. “You want to build a team where there is shared vision, shared commitment to excellence. And the ability to do that is not something that happens in the span of a short period of time—unless you have this long history.” Hometown: Chesterfield, Virginia Education: BS, 1998, and MS, 1999, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; PhD, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 2004 Current position: Director, Center for Research in Soft Matter and Polymers, and Thomas and Kipp Gutshall Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware Fun project he’s been