IMS Polymer Program Alumni

Polymer Program Alumni Feature: Mark Adams

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by Paige Bjerke
IMS Written Communications Assistant

Mark Adams '93
Mark Adams, ’93 Polymer Program

Mark Adams received his Ph.D. in Polymer Science from the University of Connecticut in 1993. After an 11-year tenure with Dow Chemical, Adams joined Henry Company in various vice president and senior vice president roles. Following his tenure at Henry Company, Adams joined Associated Materials, acting in senior vice president and later executive vice president positions. Since May of 2023, Adams serves as the Chief Operating Officer of HASA Inc., a large water treatment company based in southern California.

IMS News reached out to Adams with five questions about his breadth of professional experience since obtaining his Ph.D., and how his time at UConn shaped it. Adams shows us that with grit, passion, and a strong support system, career growth occurs naturally.

Why did you choose to pursue your Ph.D. in polymer science at UConn?  

My plan was to go to medical school after completing a B.S. in Chemistry from UConn. While working on my B.S., I took Physical Chemistry with Professor Andrew Garton. One day about halfway through the semester, he approached me after class and asked about what I was going to do after undergrad. I told him I was planning to go to medical school. He asked if I had ever considered grad school.

He went on to talk about an opportunity to go to the Institute of Materials Science for a Ph.D. in Polymer Science, working with him under a grant from NASA. Curious about the opportunity, I went to visit him at IMS, and the rest is history. I changed direction and worked to earn my Ph.D. on a research project for NASA, studying the degradation of polymeric spacecraft materials in the low earth orbit.

Who were some of the people who helped or inspired you most during your time at UConn, and how did their influence carry over into your professional career?

Obviously, Professor Garton had a huge impact on my academic career. He was incredibly energetic and excited about his research, which was infectious in his research group. When he passed away suddenly, prior to me completing my thesis, I was shocked and somewhat lost. My mentor in research was gone, and I was uncertain about the future and the choices I made. Fortunately, Sam Huang took me on to complete my degree.

Dr. Garton and other faculty at IMS taught me the importance of first principles and how to do research, but Dr. Garton is responsible for teaching me how to apply learning.  How to identify a problem, develop root cause, research/develop technology needed, and implement technology solutions. He also helped me develop continuous improvement skills that have become the backbone of my career. Advanced research is interesting and fun but, using that to develop products and solutions is exciting.

A lot of your professional experience is more on the business side rather than in a lab or research setting. How did your Ph.D. and heavy scientific background impact your trajectory for success in so many executive-level corporate roles? 

The first few roles early in my career were focused on technology and product development, which heavily leveraged my Ph.D. Successfully translating these efforts into value-creating opportunities required a complex voice of the customer requirements, which was only obtained and validated through observation and communication with end users. It’s at this interface where my unique skills started to develop, and when my career started taking turns from R&D leadership to new business development, sales, commercial leadership, and operations leadership. I have been fortunate to work with exceptional executive leaders that continually challenged and developed me, which has produced a myriad of different and challenging roles. This would not have been possible without the solid foundation I received from IMS and UConn.

What advice do you have for current polymer science students who may be unsure of their career paths? 

Figure out your “internal” job description as early as possible. In other words, determine what you like to do most in combination with the skills and experience you have developed. When you figure out what your internal job description is, and you find a role that matches, you will experience dramatically accelerated growth. In my case, that was away from pure and applied research, and more focused on deploying all kinds of chemistry and engineering to develop solutions that rapidly grow businesses. Once you figure that out, job opportunities come faster than will be comfortable.

What are you most proud of having accomplished so far in your current position, and what do you most hope to accomplish going forward?

I am currently the Chief Operations Officer at a specialty chemical company specializing in water treatment. This role is truly the culmination of all my years of experience in multiple functions and companies. I am responsible for Operations at 12 sites, Engineering, Product/Process Development, EH&S, Continuous Improvement, Quality, and Transportation.

My biggest accomplishment so far with this company has been successfully restructuring and realigning our engineering group into a segmented portfolio management approach. We had way too many projects, worked on all of them at once, with too few resources, and no prioritization. Everything was delayed and above budget. Now, we are executing on time and on budget across the board on a full spectrum of projects from large new site design-builds, down to site specific capex projects.

My biggest challenge is developing and implementing automation technology in our packaging plants. We still require too much manual labor in an environment that is ergonomically challenging. Also, working with hazardous and corrosive materials poses unique challenges to metals and circuitry, so we needed to develop materials, machines, and now robots that reliably operate in challenging environments with hazardous chemicals. I guess it’s kind of like my Ph.D. work that analyzed polymers in low earth orbit, also a challenging and unforgiving environment.

IMS News thanks Mark Adams very much for his willingness to share his unique journey. We are excited to see where he takes HASA next.

2025 Distinguished Polymer Alumni Seminar Speaker

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Hong Kong University of Science & Technology Professor, Zhengtang Luo, is honored as the 2025 Polymer Program Distinguished Alumni Seminar Speaker.

UConn polymer program alumnus, Prof. Zhengtang “Tom” Luo returned to IMS on March 28, 2025, to give his talk, “Tailor the Structure of Two-dimensional Materials towards semiconductor Application”. He was honored as the 2025 Distinguished Polymer Alumni Seminar Speaker and celebrated by his former teachers, major advisor, and current polymer program students.

Prof. Luo is currently a professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He is currently a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), and serves as the Associate Editor for ACS applied Materials & Interfaces.  He has obtained his bachelor degree from South China University of Technology in polymer science.  Under the advisement of Prof. Fotios Papadimitrakopoulos, he completed his Ph.D. in Polymer Science at University of Connecticut in 2008. Afterwards, he completed postdoctoral training in physics at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focus was materials chemistry and physics, with the development of edge-epitaxy and seeded growth concept of chemistry of two-dimensional materials, and electronic and biomaterial product development for chemical industry. In 2010, he has co-founded multiple startup companies and has attracted many investors. His continued success in research has built an expanding research lab that includes 15 graduate students.

Polymer Program distinguished alumnus Prof. Zhengtang "Tom" Luo (left) with Prof. Fotis Papadimitrakopoulos, his Ph.D. advisor
Prof. Luo with major advisor, Fotis Papadimitrakopoulos
Polymer Program distinguished alumnus Prof. Zhengtang "Tom" Luo (left) with Prof. Mu-Ping Nieh, Director of the IMS Polymer Program
Prof. Luo with Polymer Program Director, Mu-Ping Nieh

Xiangyi Xi Completes Ph.D. in Polymer Science

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Xiangyi Xi
Dr. Xiangyi Xi

While completing her bachelor’s degree in Macromolecular Materials & Engineering at Zhejiang University, China, Xiangyi Xi became interested in biotech research. Though she wasn’t sure what specific area of research she planned to pursue, she was inspired by a seminar given by UConn Polymer Program professor Luyi Sun. Later, she met Professor Tom Seery, and these meetings with faculty from another hemisphere led her to Polymer Science at the Institute of Materials Science.

After starting the Ph.D. program in Polymer Science, she joined the Professor Fotios Papadimitrakopoulos research group to help create glucose sensors. She enjoyed the multifaceted aspects of the research which included engineering, polymer science, biochemistry, as well as electrochemistry. She particularly enjoyed implementing new electrochemical testing techniques into biosensor research. The statistical nature of the research led Xiangyi to an additional unexpected degree. Xiangyi also completed a master’s degree in Biostatistics. Due to the multidisciplinary aspects of the research, Xiangyi was consistently stretching her skillset.

Looking back, Xiangyi learned more than expected during her years at UConn and gained the priceless skill of working independently. She completed her defense, “Continuous Glucose Monitoring Calibration and Metabolic Patterning”, in December 2024. In January 2025, Xiangyi joined the Yale School of Public Health, working in biostatistics.

 

Polymer Program Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Jennifer Frias ’16

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Jennifer Frias '16
Dr. Jennifer Frias, IMS Polymer Program ’16

by Paige Bjerke
IMS Written Communications Assistant

Dr. Jennifer Frias graduated from Simmons University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and physics before pursuing a polymer science Ph.D. in Professor Douglas Adamson’s group at the UConn Institute of Materials Science Polymer Program. She completed her degree in 2016.

Dr. Frias began her career as a Research Chemist at the chemical company Solvay.  She now works as an Advanced Technology Scientist at Nye Lubricants, a manufacturer of specialty lubricants for space applications and other critical applications in the automotive, medical and semiconductor industries. 

IMS News reached out to Dr. Frias with a few questions about her experience at UConn and how it applies to her work today. 

IMS News: Why did you choose to pursue a Ph.D. in polymer science, and what particularly drew you to UConn’s program? 

Frias: “I chose to pursue a Ph.D. in polymer science as I had exposure to polymer synthesis during my undergraduate thesis research at Simmons University. In addition, I participated in a 10-week research experience for undergraduates (REU) at UConn in the IMS Polymer Program in Dr. Adamson’s lab. That experience solidified my decision to pursue further education.”

IMS News: How did the UConn faculty support you while completing your Ph.D. and research?  

Frias: “The UConn faculty were very supportive during my Ph.D. coursework and research. They invested in additional study sessions when we were preparing for our cumulative exams, and practice sessions for our oral exams to become a Ph.D. candidate. My advisor, Dr. Adamson, was very supportive, encouraging, and always available to discuss if we had a new idea.” 

IMS News: What does your day to day look like in your position with Nye Lubricants?  

Frias: “I am an Advanced Technology Scientist looking at next generation technologies to incorporate into our lubricants to enhance performance, offer more sustainable solutions to our customers, and provide a technical advantage over the competition. My day-to-day can vary by working with our internal collaborators, our R&D colleagues, or our external collaborators, such as a university. With being part of the global FUCHS network now, there are additional market segments that we serve, so every day is unique and challenging. The best part is the collaboration among the team.”  

IMS News: What industries does your work mostly serve, and where and how might we see your work/creations in everyday life?  

Frias: “Our site, based in Fairhaven MA, formulates and manufactures specialty lubricants for automotive, aerospace, aviation, and medical, to name a few. A cool example of where our lubricants end up is our NyeBar® Barrier Film on the Mars Perseverance Rover. Other examples include our damping/motion control lubricants in automotive interior applications such as sunroofs, seat tracks, knobs and shifters.” 

IMS News: As an alumna, what advice would you give to aspiring or current polymer science Ph.D. students?   

Frias: “My advisor in undergraduate always told me: ‘getting into grad school is the easy part, staying in grad school is the challenge.’ I never knew what that meant until experiencing it for myself. A Ph.D. is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep plugging along, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It will pay off. Dig deep!” 

Tianjian Yang Completes Polymer Ph.D.

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Tianjian Yang
Dr. Tianjian Yang

With a continued curiosity in the materials he encountered during his childhood, Tianjian Yang wanted to satisfy his interest at a higher level. When studying Materials Science as an undergraduate at Jinan University, Tianjian discovered polymers. This led him to join the research lab of Prof. Ziyang Zhang where he became deeply involved with the research and completed his first scientific paper. Hungry for more knowledge, Tianjian joined the Materials Science and Engineering master’s degree program at the University of California, San Diego. This experience introduced him to synthetic chemistry used in biology.  Upon discovery of Prof. Yao Lin’s research in polypeptides for biomedical applications, Tianjian joined the UConn Polymer Program.

Tianjian’s hard work and talent was recognized. He published three papers as lead author, has two more in process, and was co-listed on numerous more.  He was a finalist for the national 2024 Eastman Chemical Student Award. He also received the UConn Polymer Program 2024 Samuel J. Huang Graduate Student Research Award.

Tianjian said he loved IMS because of the variety of research projects, the extensive access to instrumentation, the collaborative nature of the community, and the faculty’s willingness to help all students with questions. He said this was the perfect program for his interests and goals.

This summer he successfully defended his thesis: “Biomimetic Supramolecular Materials Assembled from Synthetic Polypeptides”. This month he started a position as a postdoctoral research scholar at Johns Hopkins University. Tianjian’s long-term goal is to become a professor.

Zaili Hou Completes his Polymer Ph.D.

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Dr. Zaili Hou
Dr. Zaili Hou completed his Ph.D. in Polymer Science in March 2023

After completing a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Lanzhou University in Gansu province, China, Zaili Hou became a Polymer Ph.D. student in the UConn IMS Polymer Program. With a desire to focus his research on hybrid functional materials, Zaili joined Dr. Luyi Sun’s research group in 2018.

Hybrid functional materials, which consist of two or more distinct components with unique physical and chemical properties, exhibit synergistic properties, making them highly versatile and suitable for applications in various fields, including energy, healthcare, optics, and electronics. Zaili’s research led him to his dissertation topic, “Hybrid Functional Materials with Multiscale Architecture Design.”  He successfully defended his dissertation in March 2023 and earned his doctoral degree as a result.

Reflecting on his time at UConn Zaili noted that he received excellent training and felt a strong sense of community during his time in the UConn IMS Polymer Program, which left him with a very positive overall experience.  He says he appreciated access to the numerous core labs in IMS and the training available from the technical staff. He felt that direct access to the instrumentation in those labs gave him a better understanding of the science and contributed to his successful research.  He also emphasized that the multi-disciplinary foundation of IMS helped create a community with multiple perspectives on the research. In addition to disciplinary diversity, Zaili also enjoyed the cultural diversity found in IMS. This helped him learn about various religions, philosophies, and cultural practices around the world.

With a desire to contribute to a better planet, Zaili began his career with World Centric, a company dedicated to sustainable products. World Centric is creating compostable and sustainable products to help reduce plastic waste that currently pollutes our planet.

“I’m very excited about making contributions to this important cause and making practical applications of polymer science to real world issues,” Zaili said.