image: Judy S. Riffle is a professor of chemistry and director of Virginia Tech's Macromolecular Science and Engineering program. view more
Credit: Virginia Tech Photo
Blacksburg, Va. –Judy S. Riffle, professor of chemistry and director of Virginia Tech's Macromolecular Science and Engineering program, has been elected a Fellow in the Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering (PMSE) division of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
Riffle was one of only three chemists worldwide to be named a PSME Fellow for 2010. She was recognized for her significant contributions to the science and engineering of polymeric materials.
Riffle joined the chemistry department (http://www.chem.vt.edu) in the College of Science (http://www.science.vt.edu) as an assistant professor in 1988. One of her many achievements has been the initiation and growth of interdepartmental graduate programs in macromolecular science and engineering. She also led a National Science Foundation (NSF) Integrated Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) initiative, which encompassed students and faculty from six interdisciplinary departments.
Riffle's polymer research has led to the development of materials used in heart transplants, arterial grafts, and contact lenses. Currently, her research is focused on synthesis of macromolecular magnetic particles that may be used in retinal treatments and fundamental aspects of delivering therapeutic molecules into immune cells to treat intracellular pathogens.
Riffle earned her Ph.D. in macromolecular chemistry at Virginia Tech in 1981. She will be formally inducted into the tenth class of PMSE Fellows at the ACS annual conference this spring.
With more than 154,000 members, the ACS is the world's largest scientific society and the premier professional society for chemists, chemical engineers, and professionals in related fields around the world.
About the College of Science
The College of Science (http://www.science.vt.edu) at Virginia Tech gives students a comprehensive foundation in the scientific method. Outstanding faculty members teach courses and conduct research in biology, chemistry, economics, geosciences, mathematics, physics, psychology, and statistics. The college offers programs in many cutting edge areas, including those in energy and the environment, developmental science across the lifespan, infectious diseases, computational science, and nanoscience. The College of Science is dedicated to fostering a research intensive environment that promotes scientific education and outreach.
Read more about Riffle's research at: http://www.mii.vt.edu/MACR/faculty/riffle.html.
See also: "Expanding the World of Polymers" http://www.science.vt.edu/news/magazine/spr09/expanding-polymers-article-spr09.html