James Hanson, Ph.D.

Professor and Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

I have wide ranging interests and expertise in organic chemistry and polymer and materials science, with a background in organic synthesis, matrix isolation and picosecond spectroscopy, and applied polymer science. Research in the Hanson group includes synthesis, physical characterization, and applications of dendritic and hyperbranched polymers, preparation and evaluation of polymers in biotechnology, materials for microlithography, and materials for marine applications, including repellents for Sharks and Dolphins, Sea Lamprey control agents, and anti-fouling agents. Our research has been supported by grants from foundations, industry, and state and federal government, and has been published in such high impact journals as the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Chemistry of Materials, and Macromolecules, and presented at many national and international conferences.

My own background is also wide-ranging, having lived all across the US, from East Coast to West Coast, big cities to small towns, with interests and expertise beyond chemistry and materials science: geology and natural history, athletics and the outdoors, music and literature, politics, and the environment.