Janani Sampath, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the University of Florida Department of Chemical Engineering has been selected as one of 35 recipients of the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards.

This competitive research award provides seed money for junior faculty members that often results in additional funding from other sources. She rece ived the award for her research using computer models to understand how certain molecules interact with each other and designing new materials that can adapt for use in clean energy and healthcare.

The Sampath Research Group studies polymers, proteins, and their hybrids to design the next generation of soft materials using molecular dynamics simulations, high throughput computations, and enhanced sampling methods.

Dr. Sampath joined the University of Florida in January 2021. She was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Dr. Sampath earned her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining graduate school, she worked as a research engineer at Unilever R&D in Bangalore, India.

The ORAU is committed to enriching the research skills and professional growth of young faculty members at ORAU member institutions.