Michael Bockstaller
Alcoa Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
Courtesy Appointment, Chemistry
Michael Bockstaller is a professor of materials science and engineering (MSE) at Carnegie Mellon University. Bockstaller received his B.S. in chemistry from the Technical University of Karlsruhe (Karlsruhe, Germany) in 1997 and his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the Johannes Gutenberg University (Mainz, Germany) in 2000. He was a scientific assistant at the Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research (Mainz, Germany) from 1997-2000 and a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 2000-2004. During 2004-2005 he held a position as group leader at RWTH Aachen University (Aachen, Germany) before joining the MSE Department Carnegie Mellon University in 2005. Bockstaller is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and an Emmy Noether Grant recipient of the German Science Foundation.
Bockstaller’s broader research interests center about structure-property-performance relations in polymer hybrid materials. Areas of special interest currently entail optical and thermal transport properties of polymer nano composites and the development of polymeric hybrid materials for applications in solid state lighting, as well as battery technologies.
Engineering Better Polymers to Solve Modern Problems
The Center for Data Driven Discovery of Multifunctional Material Systems
Education
2000 Ph.D., Physical Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University
1997 BS, Chemistry, Technical University of Karlsruhe
Media mentions
Live Science
Bockstaller quoted on flame retardants
MSE’s Michael Bockstaller spoke with Live Science regarding a recent study that detected high levels of flame retardants in some toys, kitchen utensils and other household items made from recycled black plastic
Materials Science and Engineering
Bockstaller named Alcoa Professor
Michael Bockstaller has been appointed as an endowed chair, one of the highest recognitions that can be awarded to a faculty member.
CMU Engineering
A new class of organic nanoparticles
Organic nanoparticles have been limited in terms of their mechanical properties and chemical tunability, but a recent study shows that through hyperbranching and chemical cross-linking, a dense bonding network can be developed.
American Recycler
Bockstaller speaks about developments in plastics recycling
MSE’s Michael Bockstaller spoke about technological innovations to improve the recyclability of plastic polymers.
Buy Side from WSJ
Bockstaller quoted on safety of food storage containers
Michael Bockstaller was quoted in Buy Side on the safety of food storage containers.
Data-driven Material Design
Annual Review Hosted at CMU
The Center for Data-Driven Design of Multifunctional Material Systems (D3OM2S) recently hosted 30 visitors from Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).
Data-driven Material Design
Examining the intersection of materials science and machine learning
The Center of Excellence on Data-Driven Discovery of Multifunctional Materials Systems (D3OM2S) recently hosted a workshop where attendees discussed current challenges and opportunities for machine learning in the context of material design and fabrication.
CBS News Pittsburgh
Bockstaller discusses his self-healing plastic research with CBS News Pittsburgh
MSE’s Michael Bockstaller discusses his self-healing plastic research with CBS News Pittsburgh.
CMU Engineering
Harnessing the building blocks of polymer recycling
Michael Bockstaller and Krzysztof Matyjaszewski make foundational discovery to improve the recyclability of polymers.
Materials Science and Engineering
Summer course introduces nanomaterials to high school students
Michael Bockstaller has been introducing high school sophomores to the fundamentals of materials science and nanotechnology since 2009.
CMU Engineering
Simulating engineering experiments at home or in the lab
The use of force-feedback joysticks in lab demonstrations could forever change engineering education, especially for students in underresourced environments or those affected by disaster.
CMU Engineering
Air Force partnership to fuse AI and materials research
CMU and Air Force Research Laboratory establish 5-year, $7.5M Center of Excellence in data-driven materials research.