expert materials & chemical analysis

About Justin

Dr. Justin B. Sambur is an Analytical Chemistry and Monfort Professor in the Chemistry Department at Colorado State University. Dr. Sambur has spent his career developing new measurement techniques to figure out what materials are really made of and how they actually work. 

General Specialties: Chemistry & Chemicals and Energy & Materials Analysis

Keywords/Search Terms: Hazardous materials, Environmental contamination, Toxic torts, Hazardous materials storage, Hazardous materials spills, Workplace safety, Chemical handling, Forensic chemical analysis, Identifying unknown substances, Spectroscopy, Trace-level analysis, Surface/interface analysis, Chemical exposure

Education: B.S., Binghamton University; PhD, Colorado State University; NSF ACC-F Postdoctoral Associate, Cornell University

Years in Practice: 14

Dr. Sambur earned his PhD in Chemistry from Colorado State University in 2011 and completed a nationally competitive NSF postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell University. Since returning to CSU as faculty, Justin has been recognized with major national awards, including the Air Force Young Investigator, NSF CAREER, DOE Early Career, Sloan Research Fellowship, and the Norman Edmund Inspirational Award for microscopy education. He has published 64 peer-reviewed articles in leading chemistry, materials, and nanoscience journals such as Nature, Science, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Sambur has presented 77 invited lectures at Universities and Scientific Conferences, serves on the Early Career Advisory Board of Chemical & Biomedical Imaging, Executive Board of the Society of Electroanalytical Chemistry, and is a member of 5 professional societies.

Beyond the lab, Dr. Sambur is known for translating highly technical material into clear, actionable insights. Whether he is teaching analytical and materials characterization courses or serving as an expert consultant, his approach is grounded in accuracy, transparency, and deep domain knowledge. Dr. Sambur helps clients make sense of scientific data, materials characterization, failure analysis, and technology evaluation — and he brings the same rigor and clarity to every project, from early-stage technical questions to high-stakes litigation support