I am an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. My teaching responsibilities in the UTC Chemistry and Physics Department are primarily in the organic chemistry curriculum. My students and I conduct research in polymer chemistry and physical organic chemistry, with a focus on molecular-level control of material properties.

I earned my doctorate degree in Professor Stephen Craig's lab at Duke University in Durham, NC in 2019. My doctoral research focused on taking advantage of the typically destructive process of mechanical deformation in polymer materials as an avenue for constructive chemical reactions and material responses (such as color change in rubbers!) using organic chemistry.

Immediately prior to joining the faculty at UTC, I conducted postdoctoral research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with Professor Abigail Knight to expand my expertise into bioinspired materials, working towards the development of synthetic polymers that mimic proteins.

Check out the other pages of this site to learn more about my current work, students, and philosophies.

Contact Information:

meredith dash barbee at UTC dot edu