Jeffrey R. Alston

Dr. Jeffrey Alston holds a degree in Nanoscale Science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he studied under Dr. Jordan Poler. It was during this time that he began his career studying the interfacial science of nanomaterials.  After graduation he was recruited at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. There he engineered high pressure gear pumps to extrude polymers with high weight percent nanoparticle loading for on-demand 3D printing of tires.  After several years in industry, Dr. Alston received the National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Air Force Research Lab - Rocket Lab in Edwards, CA, where he studied the effects of surface energy and nanoscale hierarchical textures on a variety of applications ranging from heat exchanger fouling release to oil-water separation to advanced high temperature interfacial science and surface interactions to enhance propellant and fuel delivery.

Dr. Alston is now an Associate Professor at North Carolina A&T and the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering. He leads ta research program focusing on the fundamental and applied aspects of nanomaterial and biopolymer interfaces.  As Dr. Alston puts it, "We functionalize nanoparticles for integration into interesting materials for cool applications."  The group currently focuses on the development of three broad material platforms; functionalized boron nitride nanoparticles (f-BN), low-density multifunctional nanostructures, and ionic liquids (including a new class of paramagnetic ionic liquids). Within these broad materials categories, we work closely with NASA and the AFRL, several industry partners, and address various challenges aligned with DoD interests.

Researcher IDs:
Web of Science ResearcherID S-8736-2017

ORCID 0000-0002-4177-0648

 

Graduate Research Assistsants

Drelos Scholars

Undergraduate Research Associates

Lawren

NC A&T Undergraduate Student

Chloe Emehel
NC A&T Undergraduate Student
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Chloe is an honors biology student in the class of 2024 at North Carolina A&T State University. Ms. Emehel’s research at JSNN observes the effects of ionic liquids on the conductivity of regenerating solvents along with related studies looking at the effects of regenerated scaffolds on cell proliferation. She hopes to explore future applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery.

Immanuel

NC A&T Undergraduate Student

Taylor Davis

NC A&T Undergraduate Student

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Taylor is an Honors Chemical Engineering student at North Carolina A&T State University. She is organized, resilient, and can easily adjust to new situations. Additionally, she was a part of the third cohort of Cheatham-White Scholars at NC A&T. She enjoys work that puts people first and positively impacts others.

Dale Thomas Morgan

NC A&T Undergraduate Student

Research Group Alumni