James E. McGrath

University Distinguished Professor James E. McGrath Virginia Tech Dept. of Chemistry 2108 Hahn Hall Blacksburg, VA USA 24061 Email: jmcgrath@vt.edu Biographical Sketch: James McGrath received his Ph.D. from the University of Akron, where he worked on synthetic rubbers, particularly ozone resistance and hydrocarbon-based thermoplastic elastomers. After several years in industry, he joined Virginia Tech in 1975. He was director of an NSF Science and Technology Center for High Performance Polymeric Adhesives and Composites, and is now a co-director of the Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute and a University Distinguished Professor of Chemistry. His fundamental chemistry has included many contributions to organolithium polymerizations and in ring opening polymerization with a specialty in epoxides and organosiloxane chemistry. His current focus is on polymeric materials for membranes, including fuel cells, reverse osmosis water purification membranes, membranes for the electrolysis of water and gas separations. He has 50 patents and over 400 publications, has received numerous awards (including the Thermoplastic of Elastomers Award in 2001), and remains one of the leaders in polymer science and engineering.