Robert Tilton
Chevron Professor, Chemical Engineering
Director of Undergraduate Education, Chemical Engineering
Courtesy Professor, Biomedical Engineering
A member of the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University since 1992, Robert Tilton is Chevron Professor of Chemical Engineering and serves as Director of the Center for Complex Fluids Engineering. He earned a B.Ch.E. from the University of Delaware in 1986, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University in 1987 and 1991, respectively. His Ph.D. research was supervised by Alice Gast and Channing Robertson and was recognized by the 1993 Victor K. LaMer Award for Outstanding Graduate Research in Colloid and Surface Chemistry from the American Chemical Society. Following his Ph.D. he conducted postdoctoral research in the Department of Physical Chemistry at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. He is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society and a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
Professor Tilton has served as a regular member of the NIH Nanotechnology Study Section and as Scientific Council to CODIRECT, the Institute Excellence Centre for Controlled Release and Delivery at the Institute for Surface Chemistry in Stockholm. He has held several leadership positions in the American Chemical Society Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry, including Victor K. LaMer Award Committee Chair, symposium committee chair, and division vice-chair, chair-elect and chair. He now serves as councilor. In 2001 and 2015 he co-chaired the ACS Colloid and Surface Science Symposium at Carnegie Mellon University.
Research in Tilton's group addresses problems in complex fluid interfacial phenomena. This entails fundamental investigations of the structure and dynamics of macromolecules, surfactants and composite nanoparticles in suspension or adsorbed at solid or fluid interfaces supports application-driven research in environmental nanotechnology, aerosolized carriers for pulmonary drug delivery, and high efficiency emulsifiers.
Engineering More Efficient Emulsifiers
Creating New Technology Using Complex Fluids
Education
1991 Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Stanford University
1987 MS, Chemical Engineering, Stanford University
1986 Bachelor of Chemical Engineering with Distinction, Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware
Research Interests
Media mentions
Chemical Engineering
Alum spotlight: Haichao Wu
Haichao Wu (‘15) received the 2023 Victor K. LaMer Award for Graduate Research in Colloid and Surface Chemistry. His career path was inspired by his advisors and research experience in the MS program.
Chemical Engineering
Better transport on the way to more sustainable product formulations
Researchers show that polymer/surfactant complexes significantly enhance diffusiophoretic transport of colloids. The findings advance the understanding of how ingredients interact.
CMU Engineering
Kinetic research propels career paths
Malaika Alphons’ Summer Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship (SURA) could serve her as a chemical or biomedical researcher.
Chemical Engineering
Undergraduates earn research experience through ChemE’s ChESS Program
Carnegie Mellon’s Chemical Engineering Summer Scholars Program (ChESS) provides rising juniors and seniors an opportunity to gain hands-on research experience.
Chemical Engineering
Berg Scholars, Chen and Pavlat will present posters at AIChE Conference
ChemE’s 6th Annual John Berg Undergraduate Research Symposium Poster Session winners, Ketong Chen and Benjamin Pavlat, earned the designation of Berg Scholars. They will travel on an all-expenses-paid trip to Boston for the AIChE Annual Student Conference and participate in its Undergraduate Student Poster Competition.
CMU Engineering
Nanoparticles to immunize plants against heat stress
Greg Lowry and Bob Tilton have created a new type of nanoparticle that may be able to immunize plants against harsh environmental conditions and pathogens.
CMU Engineering
Safety top of mind for Baranowski
As an integral member of the “Rethink the Rink” team, Joanna Baranowski is working to make hockey safer.
Chemical Engineering
Alum creates endowed fund to support complex fluids research
Chemical engineering alumnus Prasad Setty (E ‘1994) and his wife Shoma recently made a $100,000 gift to the Department of Chemical Engineering to create an endowed fund in support of research in complex fluid interfacial phenomena.
Business Insider India
Tilton and Przybycien refine water filtration process that uses sand and plant materials
BME/ChemE’s Bob Tilton and Todd Przybycien's work on the process that converts sand and plant materials into a cheap and effective water filtration tool, called “f-sand,” was discussed in Business Insider India.
CMU Engineering
The seed that could bring clean water to millions
Bob Tilton and Todd Przybycien have refined the requirements of a process that turns easily accessible sand and plant materials into a cheap and effective water filtration tool.
Tilton invited to present at conference
ChemE’s Bob Tilton was invited to present at the 2018 American Coatings Conference.
Bob Tilton appointed to Chevron Chair
ChemE’s Bob Tilton has been appointed to the Chevron Chair.