Dr. Peter Beaucage is a Chemical Engineer at the Materials Science & Engineering Division and the NIST Center for Neutron Research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, where he works on the development and application of autonomous scattering techniques for problems in formulation science and other areas.
Peter was most recently a National Research Council postdoctoral fellow working in the Materials Science and Engineering division at NIST, where he worked (and still works) to apply polarized resonant soft x-ray techniques to industrially-relevant water filtration membranes.
Peter's Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Cornell University focused on making superconductors with 3D mesoscale order using block copolymers. He worked closely with Profs. Uli Wiesner, Sol Gruner, Frank DiSalvo, and R. Bruce van Dover at the intersection of block copolymer-derived hybrid materials, advanced synchrotron x-ray characterization, and solid-state chemistry. He also developed a variety of collaborations centering on characterization of nanostructure formation in materials by in situ x-ray and neutron scattering. His broader interests lie in the convergence of advanced nanomaterials synthesis and advanced characterization to solve the global challenges of energy, water, and healthcare required to sustainably support a population rising above 10 billion.
Peter is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, where he recieved his B.S. in Chemical Engineering cum laude from the University of Cincinnati. During undergraduate, he focused on quantification of mesoscale order in graphene oxide and related two-dimensional materials, on technique development for ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering, and on elucidation of structure formation mechanisms in self-assembled sucrose-based drug delivery systems.
To help bring novel technologies to bear in improving global living conditions, Peter serves as COO of Concordia Humana, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to relief projects worldwide. He has traveled extensively in sub-Saharan Africa - highlights include developing a water system for Ganda Boya, a remote village of 5,000 people in rural Ethiopia, tackling responsible medical waste disposal in the urban environment of Douala, Cameroon, and work to develop an entreprenurial undergraduate course in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He also enjoys more recreational travel, photography, homebrewing, and hiking.