Research Interests

Professional Background

Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1981

NRC/NBS Postdoctoral Research Associate, 1981-1982

Project Associate, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1983-1984

Assistant and Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of Southern California, 1984-1995

Editor, Journal of Polymer Science: Polymer Physics, 1992-2002

NIST, Polymers Division, 1995-2006

NIST, Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory 2006-present

Honors and Awards

U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Medal-Customer Service, 2005

U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Medal-Leadership, 2002

Fellow of the American Physical Society, 1992

Burlington Northern Foundation Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching, University of Southern California, 1989

Chemistry Alumni Teaching Award, University of Southern California, 1988

National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1981

Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, University of Wisconsin, 1978

Mary L. Collins Graduate Scholarship, Willamette University, 1976

Brief Biography

His primary research interests are in the application of rheology with light, neutron and X ray scattering to investigate the physics of complex soft material systems including polyelectrolytes, biomembranes, gels, networks, associating systems, dendritic molecules, and semicrystalline polymers. More recently, he initiated the novel application of combinatorial and high throughput methods for investigations of materials physics and biomaterials, which led to the establishment of the NIST Combinatorial Methods Center and an innovative program in measurement methods for systematic investigations of biomaterial interactions.

From 1992 to 2002 Dr. Amis was Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Polymer Science: Polymer Physics. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society (1992) and past Chair of the Division of Polymer Physics (1998). With the American Chemical Society he is a Fellow of the Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering Division (2005) and in 2008 he will be Chair of the Polymer Chemistry Division. He has received two U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Medals, in 2002 for Leadership and in 2005 for Customer Service, for advancing new technical programs at NIST. Dr. Amis has chaired three Gordon Research Conferences: Macromolecular Dynamics, Polymers (West), and Combinatorial and High-Throughput Materials Science (as co founder). He has over 150 peer-reviewed publications.

Prior Publications

B.D. Ermi and E.J. Amis, "Influence of Backbone Solvation on Small Angle Neutron Scattering from Polyelectrolyte Solutions", Macromolecules, 1997, 30, 6937-6942.

M. Sedlák and E.J. Amis, "Concentration and Molecular Weight Regime Diagram of Salt-Free Polyelectrolyte Solutions as Studied by Light Scattering" J. Chem. Phys., 1992, 96, 826-834.

M. Sedlák and E.J. Amis, "Dynamics of Moderately Concentrated Salt-Free Polyelectrolyte Solutions: Molecular Weight Dependence" J. Chem. Phys., 1992, 96, 817-825.

C.L. Jackson, H.D. Chanzy, F.P. Booy, B. Drake, D.A. Tomalia, B.J. Bauer, and E.J. Amis, "Visualization of Dendrimer Molecules by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM): Staining Methods and Cryo-TEM of Vitrified Solutions", Macromolecules, 1998, 31, 6259-6265.

T.J. Prosa, B.J. Bauer, E.J. Amis, D.A. Tomalia, R. Scherrenberg, "A SAXS Study of the Internal Structure of Dendritic Polymer Systems", Journal of Polymer Science: Polymer Physics Edition, 1997, 35, 2913-2924.

E.J. Amis, C.C. Han, and Y. Matsushita, "Dynamic Light Scattering Measurements of Polystyrene in Semidilute Theta Solutions", Polymer, 1984, 25, 650-658.

E.J. Amis, P.A. Janmey, J.D. Ferry, and H. Yu, "Quasi-Elastic Light Scattering of Gelatin Solutions and Gels", Macromolecules, 1983, 16, 441-446.

E.J. Amis and C.C. Han, "Cooperative and Self-Diffusion of Polymers in Semidilute Solutions by Dynamic Light Scattering", Polymer, 1982, 23, 1403-1406.