Williams Research Group

I love my current position as Professor of Inorganic Chemistry in the RIT School of Chemistry and Materials Science. My science journey began by earning a B.S. in Biochemistry from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Montana State University. Upon graduation, I spent several years as a Laser Research Specialist at the Regional Laser and Biotechnology Laboratory housed within the University of Pennsylvania under the direction of Dr. Robin Hochstrasser. I have traveled quite the winding road. My first academic position was in the RIT School of Photography teaching Photographic Chemistry and Optics, then Director of Research and Development for a small company called Foto-wear, Inc. developing paper-based coatings for thermal transfer media and inventor on over 35 patented technologies. Then, out to the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to take on Physical Chemistry teaching and research roles. Back to RIT, to the School of Print Media, teaching and research in the materials and processes used in commercial printing. I found new international colleagues and friends of IARIGAI. Then, about a decade ago, I walked across the Infinity Quad, to the School of Chemistry and Materials Science to focus on inorganic synthesis and functional materials. I am certainly home, but treasure the lessons learned on the road traveled.

Our group synthesizes and formulates new materials for functional printed electronics and optics applications in collaboration with the RIT AMPrint Center. Particularly, we use novel synthetic approaches to develop printable "inks" that deposit conductive, semiconductive or resistive elements on a variety of form factors using production-scale print processes. Metal-oxide and metal organic decomposition systems (MOD) inks and structures are of particular interest. The Williams Group also uses metal oxide sol-gel techniques to develop printable coatings for optical and electronic elements used in sensor and actuator technologies.