University of Wisconsin Stout | Wisconsin's Polytechnic University

Education

Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, 2008
B.S., Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 2003

Research Interests

Development of biopolymers and biopolymer based nanocomposites
Curing kinetics of thermosetting resin
Rheology of complex fluids
Thermal analysis of polymers
Physics of glass transition
Structure-property-processing relationship

Courses Taught

PLE-360 Plastics Testing and Analysis
MFGT-250 Introduction to Plastics
MFGT-251 Fundamentals of Plastics Materials and Processing
MFGE-352 Manufacturing Process Engineering II
MFGE-707 Field Project Formulation

Experience

Assistant Professor, Engineering and Technology, University of Wisconsin-Stout, 2012 - present
Researcher, Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, 2010 - 2011
Researcher, Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech, 2008 – 2010

Selected Recent Publications

1.  W. Zheng, A. Mohammed, L. G. Hines Jr., D. Xiao, O. J. Martinez, R. A. Bartsch, S. L. Simon, O. Russina, A. Triolo, and E. L. Quitevis, "Effect of Cation Symmetry on the Morphology and Physicochemical Propertiesof Imidazolium Ionic Liquids," Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 115, 6572 - 6584 (2011).
2. W. Zheng, G. B. McKenna, and S. L. Simon," The Viscoelastic Behaviors of Athermal Solutions," Polymer, 51, 4899 – 4906 (2010).
3. C. Dalle-Ferrier, S. Simon, W. Zheng, P. Badrinarayanan, T. Fennell, B. Frick, J. M. Zanotti, and C. Alba-Simionesco, "The Consequence of Excess Configurational Entropy on Fragility: the Case of a Polymer/Oligomer Blend ", Physical Review Letters, 103, 185702 (2009).
4.  W. Zheng and S. L. Simon, "The Glass Transition of Athermal Poly(α-Methyl Styrene/Oligomer Blends," Journal of  Polymer Science: Part B: Polymer Physics, 46, 418 - 430  (2008).
5. P. Bad rinarayanan, W. Zheng, and S. L. Simon, "On the Validity of the Isoconversion Analysis for the Glass Transition," Thermochimica Acta, 468, 87 - 93 (2008).
6.  W. Zheng and S. L. Simon, "Confinement Effects on the Glass Transition of the Hydrogen Bonded Liquids," Journal of Chemical Physics, 127, 194501-1-194501-11 (2007); also published in visual publication.
7.  P. Badrinarayanan, W. Zheng, Q. X. Li, and S. L. Simon, "The Glass Transition Temperature Versus the Fictive Temperature," Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 353, 2603 - 2612 (2007).
8. R. Pitchimani, W. Zheng, S. L. Simon, L. Hope-Weeks, A. K. Burnham, and B. L. Weeks,  "Thermodynamic Analysis of Pure and Impurity Doped Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate Crystals Grown at Room Temperature," Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, 89, 475 - 478 (2007).
9. W. Zheng and S. L. Simon, "Polystyrene Freeze Dried from Dilute Solution: Tg Depression and Residual Solvent Effects," Polymer, 47, 3520 - 3527 (2006).