E-mail: dssimmons@usf.edu Phone: (813) 974-4988
Dr. David S. Simmons is an Associate Professor of Chemical, Biological, and Materials Engineering at the University of South Florida. He earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. After a National Research Council postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Dr. Simmons spent six years on the faculty of the Department of Polymer Engineering at the University of Akron. He joined the University of South Florida in 2018.
Dr. Simmons' research group combines computer simulations, machine learning, theory, evolutionary algorithms, and laboratory experiments to design and understand polymers and other next-generation advanced materials. Major research areas in the Simmons group include physics and design of glass-forming materials, dynamics and mechanics of nanostructured polymers, mechanical properties of elastomeric nanocomposites, and rational design of sequence-specific polymers. His research has been recognized with awards and support including the ACS Rubber Division Sparks-Thomas Award, the USF Faculty Outstanding Research Award, the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award, the NSF CAREER Award, and research funding from the Keck Foundation, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and industry partners and consortia.
In addition to his research activities, Dr. Simmons is President of the USF Faculty Senate and a Member of the USF Board of Trustees. He has previousyl served as vice-chair of the USF Faculty Senate Research Council, is a member of the USF Faculty Senate Academic Planning and Budget Council, and teaches a summer outreach workshop on scientific computing for local high school students. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in areas including thermodynamics, transport, and polymer science and engineering and has led several substantial curriculum revisions at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
