Dr. Eric W. Cochran, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Iowa State University, received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from University of Minnesota in 2004. His doctoral studies were supported by a highly competitive NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. His thesis, “Thermodynamics, simulation, and modeling of ordered linear ABC triblock copolymers” was advised by Prof. Frank S. Bates, a globally recognized leader in the realm of heterogeneous polymers including synthetic methods and thermodynamic/dynamic behaviors. His areas of interest are in the equilibrium and dynamic properties of polymeric systems that undergo self-assembly as well as the creation and development of biomaterials from renewable sources. Since his arrival to Iowa State, he has been recipient of the Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award in 2006, of the CAREER Award by the NSF Division of Materials Research in 2009, and a Karen and Denny Vaughn faculty fellowship in 2011. He also currently serves as the Deputy Director of CB2, the Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites, which leverages National Science Foundation and industry funds to develop new biobased products and materials. He has 19 years of experience in the fields of polymer chemistry and polymer physics. His 55 peer-reviewed articles, 3 book chapters, and 18 intellectual property disclosures in the fields of polymer physics, polymer chemistry, and bio-based chemicals have cited 1600 times, meriting an “h-factor” of 17. He has been invited to deliver 44 scientific lectures on topics related to his research program.