Dr. Joseph G. Lawrence is the Senior Director of the Polymer Institute and Center for Materials and Sensor Characterization (CMSC) at the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. He is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Annamalai University, India, a master’s, and PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toledo. Dr. Lawrence also has 3 years industry experience working for Hindustan Unilever and Protchem Industries in India.

Dr. Lawrence was instrumental in establishing the Center for Materials and Sensor Characterization (CMSC) at the University of Toledo, which is a core facility. Under his leadership, he developed CMSC from startup to a user facility and has established a vibrant partnership with more than 90 companies. He has taught/trained more than 400 students and professionals on electron microscopy techniques, polymer composites and materials research over the past 14 years. He took on additional leadership role as Director of the Polymer Institute in 2015 and has been serving in this role. He also established the Drinking Water Research Laboratory in 2017 and the Additive Manufacturing Training & Research Laboratory in 2018 in the College of Engineering by securing funds from the State of Ohio. Under his leadership, overall external funding generated by CMSC, and Polymer Institute exceed $8M (research funding - $5.5M, CMSC funding - $2.5M). The average external funding secured for the past four years is $1M/yr. Dr. Lawrence has served as principal and/or co-principal investigator for major projects. He teaches courses in Chemical Engineering and have advised/co-advised 26 graduate students (currently advising 2 PhD and 5 MS).

Dr. Lawrence’s research focuses on polymer processing and characterization, nanotechnology, additive manufacturing, renewable materials, materials characterization, and recycling of plastics. Specific areas of research include renewably sourced monomers for polyesters, barrier materials for packaging applications, additive manufacturing of polymer composites and the evaluation of molded composites using thermal, spectroscopic and electron microscopy analysis.  In addition, his work includes the study of interface in nanocomposites and modification of surface chemistry of nanomaterials for better adhesion to the polymer matrix. Dr. Lawrence is also the director for the Polyesters and Barrier Materials Industrial Research Consortium that have support from national and international companies. The consortium research objectives are to conduct fundamental as well as applied research in polymer science and engineering.

Dr. Lawrence is the editorial advisor of Encyclopedia of Polymer, Polymer Materials and Processes, was a member of the editorial board of Advance Materials Letters and is a peer reviewer in several journals. He has co-authored one patent application, one provisional patent, one book chapter, 38 publications and 46 presentations. He supervises scientists, research faculty, graduate, and undergraduate research students; post-doctoral research associates and serves on several doctoral dissertation and thesis committees. He is a board member and served as the Chair of the Injection Molding Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). He has served as the Technical Program chair of the Toledo Section and as the faculty advisor for the University of Toledo SPE student chapter. He also serves on several department and college level committees.