Richard Vaia

Technology Advisor Richard Vaia Air Force Research Laboratory AFRL/RXBN 2941 Hobson Way Wpafb, OH USA 45433 Email: richard.vaia@wpafb.af.mil Biographical Sketch: Richard A. Vaia is the Technology Advisor of the Nanostructured and Biological Materials Branch at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Lead for NanoMaterials for the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. His research group focuses on polymer nanocomposites, complex nanoparticle architectures and their impact on developing adaptive soft matter. He received his PhD degree in materials science and engineering at Cornell University in 1995 and was a distinguished graduate from Cornell’s AFROTC. His honors and awards include the Air Force Outstanding Scientist (2002), MRL Visiting Professor at University of California Santa Barbara (2006), and Air Force Office of Scientific Research Star Team (2003-2005; 2005-2007; 2007-2009). Rich serves on the editorial boards of Macromolecules and Materials Today, as well as the Board of Directors for the Material Research Society. He has authored over 140 peer-reviewed papers and patents.