The University of Pittsburgh welcomed Dr. Jennifer Laaser in 2016 as an assistant professor in the Chemistry Department. Dr. Laaser runs the Laaser Lab at Pitt which studies the intersections between physical chemistry, polymer physics, and polymeric materials. The lab is open to graduate students at the University. Her research group in the Lab uses optical and spectroscopic (the splitting of light) methods to develop a physical understanding of how changes at the molecular level translate to the macroscopic properties of responsive polymeric materials.
Dr. Laaser has been published over 50 times in science journals, including for of her most recent work, “Role of Ligand Shell Density in the Diffusive Behavior of Nanoparticles in Hydrogels” (2023). She has been awarded three fellowships: The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (2008), the AAAS Mass Media Fellowship (2013), and the L’Oreal for Women in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014). She is also a Werner-Bergmann Prize winner (2008) and a Casey Excellence in Research Award winner (2013). In 2018, she won a National Science Foundation Career award where she “investigated how the structure and dynamics of polymeric networks influence force-driven processes at the molecular scale and will develop curricular materials and outreach activities aimed at promoting education and diversity in polymer science.” Dr. Laaser also won a Tina and David Bellet Teaching Excellence Award in 2022.