At the UGA New Materials Institute, we believe that a material’s useful end-of-life should be considered at the design stage and that Green Engineering principles should be part of this process.
Student Profile: Adaeze Osakwe
Adaeze Osakwe is pursuing a PhD in chemistry under the mentorship of Jason Locklin, PhD, who is co-founder and director of the UGA New Materials Institute. (Dr. Locklin is also a professor and head of the Department of Chemistry in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and is jointly appointed to the UGA College of Engineering.)
Yajun Yan, of the UGA New Materials Institute, was recently elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. It is the seventh consecutive year the University of Georgia has had faculty elected. Election to NAI Fellowship is the highest professional distinction accorded to academic inventors. Fellows are recognized for prolific innovation that has had tangible impacts on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.
UGA researchers developed a novel process to recycle glass fiber-reinforced polymer waste from decommissioned wind turbine blades into high-performance fiber materials.
Faculty and students from the UGA New Materials Institute enjoyed attending the fall meeting of the Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites, or CB2, recently held at North Dakota State University. UGA NMI faculty and students will conduct five research projects selected by CB2’s Industry Advisory Board for 2026.
Student Profile: Ana Clara Caobianco
Ana Clara Caobianco recently graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in public health. During her time at UGA, she worked two years at the UGA New Materials Institute. She talked to us recently about her experiences working at the UGA NMI and how they may impact her future.
Researchers at the University of Georgia New Materials Institute developed novel plasticizers derived from biobased furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) that were compatible with PHB-co-HHx, utilizing Hansen solubility parameters as a guide.
Student Profile: Jodie Stone
Jodie Stone graduated in 2025 from the University of Georgia with a double major in biology and music. Both programs are based the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. Her last academic year also marked Stone’s second stint working in the Industrial Microbiology Laboratory, under the direction of Dr. H. Travis Ichikawa, at the UGA New Materials Institute. The laboratory team focuses on sustainable production of biopolymers, including recovery and reuse of processed water. Stone talked to us about her experiences working at the UGA NMI and her future goals.
Nine polyesters made from AB monomers that can be derived from lignin were tested for this study including phloretic, coumaric and ferulic acids, and similar derivatives. Testing included monomer and polymer synthesis, thermal analysis, mechanical characterization, gel content, rheological characterization and chemical recycling.
Student Profile: Tiffanie Torrey
Tiffanie Torrey is an undergraduate student who works in Industrial Microbiology Laboratory at the University of Georgia New Materials Institute, under the direction of Dr. H. Travis Ichikawa. Torrey is pursuing a double major in ecology, through the Odum School of Ecology, and plant biology, through the Department of Plant Biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. She plans to go into environmental consulting work following her graduation. Torrey recently spoke with us about her experiences working at the UGA New Materials Institute and how her experiences might impact her future.
Researchers from the UGA New Materials Institute expanded upon the material-sparing tablet development (MSTD) method and found it can be applied to a wide variety of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). When combined with a lab-scale tablet press, the team found that formulations can be designed and tested using less than 20 grams of API in less than 14 days.
