Christopher Soles (Fed)

Short Biography

Dr. Christopher L. Soles leads the Functional Polymers Group in the Materials Measurement Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).   His research group focuses on measurement that help commercialize the use polymeric materials in technologies related to semiconductor fabrication, printed and flexible electronics, membranes for ion transport and water filtration, structural composites, and impact mitigation.  His research in these areas focuses on the relationship between polymer dynamics and the functional properties of the material.  Dr. Soles received two Bachelor of Science degrees, in both Mechanical Engineering (ME) and Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) in 1993, followed by his Doctorate in MSE in 1998, all from the University of Michigan.  Go Blue!  He then moved to the NIST Polymers Division as a NRC Postdoctoral Fellow, and made the transition to a Staff Scientist in 2002.  For the past 12 years he has led the Functional Polymers Group in the Materials Science and Engineering Division.  He has over 150 peer-reviewed publications, received several prestigious awards, and is a Fellow of both the American Physical Society (2011) and the American Chemical Society (2016).  He is the Past-Chair (2018) of the PMSE Division of the American Chemical Society and currently represents the Federal Government on the Technical Council of NextFlex, our Nation’s flagship flexible hybrid electronics manufacturing institute.

Research Opportunities

• NIST-NRC Postdoctoral Fellowships

Professional Affiliations

• American Physical Society (DPOLY, DSOFT)
• Materials Research Society
• American Chemical Society (PMSE, POLY)

Professional Networking

• Google Scholar
• Linked In
• CV

ACS Team Innovation Award (V. Prabhu, C. Soles, E. Lin, W.-l. Wu) (2019)

Past Chair Award, Polymeric Materials: Science & Engineering Division, American Chemical Society (2018)

Keynote Lecture, 1^st Pan-American Polymer Conference, Sao Paulo, Brazil (2017)

Fellow, American Chemical Society (2016)

Fellow, American Physical Society (2011)

Arthur S. Flemming Award (2010)

United States Department of Commerce Bronze Medal Award (2008)

National Academy of Science Delegate, Japan-US Frontiers of Science, Kanagawa, Japan (2007)

Plenary Lecture, Nanoprint & Nanoimprint Technology Conference, Paris, France (2007)

Invited Speaker, Polymers West Gordon Research Conference, Ventura, CA (2007)

United States Department of Commerce Silver Medal Award (2006)

United States Department of Commerce Bronze Medal Award (2006)

Presidential Early Career Award for Science & Engineering (2006)

National Academy of Engineering Delegate, Indo-US Frontiers of Engineering, Agra, India (2006)

Keynote Lecture, Semiconductor International Nanoimprint Lithography Webcast (2005)

National Academy of Engineering Delegate, Frontiers of Engineering, Irvine, CA (2004)

NIST Sigma Xi Best Poster (2002)

NIST NRC Postdoctoral Fellowship (1999)