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Welcome!
Welcome!
Welcome to the Collier Research Group in the School of Polymer Science and Engineering at the University of Southern Mississippi! Research in the group encompasses organic, polymer, and materials chemistry. We are interested in utilizing precise monomer synthesis to incorporate functional building blocks into polymeric materials with targeted macromolecular properties. Specific interests include synthesis and characterization of conjugated polymer and molecule systems to understand how structure influences optical and electrochemical properties. Furthermore, we aim to minimize the synthesis of monomers and polymers in an effort to improve sustainable considerations for attaining conjugated polymers.
Welcome to the Collier Research Group in the School of Polymer Science and Engineering at the University of Southern Mississippi! Research in the group encompasses organic, polymer, and materials chemistry. We are interested in utilizing precise monomer synthesis to incorporate functional building blocks into polymeric materials with targeted macromolecular properties. Specific interests include synthesis and characterization of conjugated polymer and molecule systems to understand how structure influences optical and electrochemical properties. Furthermore, we aim to minimize the synthesis of monomers and polymers in an effort to improve sustainable considerations for attaining conjugated polymers.
Group News
Group News
Spring 2025: Congrats to the CRG members who contributed to the latest manuscript published in J. Mater. Chem. C! Here we expand the structural diversity of DHPP monomers to include heterocycles so that we have additional handles to manipulate optoelectronic properties and improve device-inspired performance. This is also an important manuscript as it is apart of the 2025 Emerging Investigators Series for the journal! This recognition is not possible without the contributions from the students (past and present!) and collaborators. Congrats team!!
Summer 2024: It was a busy summer for the CRG! Congrats to Ally and Ariane for their publications getting out! Ally reported on expanding color control of our synthetically-simple high-contrast electrochromes and Ariane took a deep dive into understanding environmental influences of degradation properties of conjugated polymers. Perry and Daylen (REU) joined the lab and worked on some of the first chemistries we are working on here at USM! Way to go team!
May 2024: Congratulations to Sarah, Lillian, and Vanessa on graduating from KSU! Proud of all your accomplishments and thankful for your contributions to the group!
April 2024: Congrats to KJ and team on the latest publication from the CRG in J. Poly. Sci.! Here we expand our understanding of structure-property relationships and applicability of DHPP-containing copolymers while maintaining their synthetic simplicity!
November 2023: Congrats to Lillian, Ariane, Sarah, and Edy for presenting at the Fall 2023 Symposium of Student Scholars! Lillian came home with 2nd Runner-up Graduate Presentation Prize! Congrats Lillian!
Fall 2023: Graham and the CRG was featured in the Fall edition of the Kennesaw State University Magazine. This recognition is a result of the dedicated efforts and successes of students in the group! Take a peak here and congrats to the group!
Summer 2023: The CRG has many achievements to celebrate from Summer 2023. Congratulations to Kim and Ally who both published work from their thesis this summer! Go check these out for more insight into degradable conjugated polymers and DHPPs with readily tunable optoelectronic properties! Stay tuned for more exciting results coming soon.
June 2023: The Collier Research Group received notice our proposal involving electroactive polymers with complex architectures was selected for funding by the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund as a New Investigator Award!
Spring 2023: Congratulations to Kim and Ally who successfully defended their theses in the Spring 2023 semester! This is the 2nd and 3rd graduate students to come through the Collier Research Group. Be on the look out for exciting work in the near future!
March 2023: Graham and Ariane took on Indy for the Spring ACS Meeting. Graham gave an invited talk and Ariane presented two posters (one as an Invited SciMix!). Congrats Ariane!
January 2023: Graham was awarded the Outstanding Early Career Faculty Award for the College of Science and Mathematics! This would not be possible without the incredible work and dedication from the CRG students and this award is a reflection of their successes!
November 2022: Congratulations to Kim, Ally, Perry, Val, Julia, and Julien who presented their research at the Fall 2022 Symposium of Student Scholars! Each had fantastic presentations and did a tremendous job sharing work in the group to the broader campus community.
September 2022: Excited to announce the groups first manuscript describing a new monomer building block to simplify the synthesis of conjugated polymers has been published in Chemistry of Materials! Congratulations KJ for leading the charge and our collaborator Aime'e Tomlinson from the University of North Georgia for insight provided by theory!
August 2022: Huge congratulations to Ariane, who won the Birla Carbon poster symposium! This event was for students to present their undergraduate research performed in various labs across the College of Science and Mathematics. This is back-to-back wins for the CRG! Way to go Ariane!
May 2022: The Collier Research Group is NSF-Funded! We are excited to continue our efforts for simplifying the synthesis of conjugated polymers and appreciate the support from NSF!
May 2022: The Collier Research Group was well-represented at the Department Awards Day celebration. Congratulations to Ethan and Sarah for being recognized for their achievements!
April 2022: Congratulations to KJ for successfully defending his thesis! KJ is the first Collier Research Group graduate from the MSCB program. Next stop, University of Tennessee for his PhD!
April 2022: Congratulations to Sarah who was awarded the top prize for an undergraduate presentation at the Spring 2022 Symposium of Student Scholars pertaining to her work developing aqueous electrolyte compatible conjugated polymers!
April 2022: Congratulations to Ariane who was selected to participate in the Summer 2022 Birla Carbon Scholars Program!
March 2022: Congratulations to Kim and Ally, who both successfully passed their Thesis Proposal Defenses this semester!
January 2022: Happy New Year! With the start of the 2022, we also have new students starting in the lab. Welcome to Kim (MSCB student), Val, and Ariane (Undergraduate Researchers) to the team!
November 2021: KJ and Graham attended SERMACS in Birmingham for a poster and talk, respectively. First in-person conference for the CRG was a success!
August 2021: Huge congratulations to Ethan, who won the Birla Carbon poster symposium! This event was for students to present their undergraduate research performed in various labs across the College of Science and Mathematics. Way to go Ethan!
Fall 2021: Sarah and Anna have joined the group to work on synthesizing new compounds to contribute to our continuing research efforts. Welcome Sarah and Anna!
May 2021: Ethan Wagner is joining the Group this summer as a Birla Carbon Scholar. This is a prestigious program facilitated by the College of Science and Mathematics at KSU that sponsors undergraduate summer research. Congrats and welcome Ethan!
April 2021: Graduate student KJ Bell successfully defended his Masters Thesis Proposal, the first in the CRG! Congrats KJ!
April 2021: Ciara, Ally, and Ryan presented their research in the Spring 2021 Symposium of Student Scholars, sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research. Congrats to all three!
February 2021: Undergraduate Ally Kisiel was awarded funds from the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Program through the Office of Undergraduate Research. Congrats Ally!
December 2020: Say hello to our full team! The final virtual Group Meeting of 2020 gave the CRG a chance to smile big for a Group photo! Looking forward to the exciting research coming up in 2021!
September 2020: The Collier Research Group was selected for funding through the KSU College of Science and Mathematics Mentor-Protege Program. Undergraduate Ciara Bettis will lead the effort for developing sustainable efforts for the synthesis of conjugated polymers!
August 2020: Graham said goodbye to the Reynolds Research Group at Ga Tech to start the Collier Research Group at Kennesaw State!
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