Dr. Kendra A. Erk (cv)

B.S. Materials Science and Engineering with Highest Distinction, Purdue University, 2006
Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2010
Phone: (765) 494-4118
Email: erk @ purdue . edu

Current Graduate and Postdoctoral Researchers

• Matthew Kaboolian (MS) - Defect formation in concentrated surfactant solutions

• Parth Kelkar (PhD) - Rheo-physical behavior of concentrated surfactant solutions

• Akul Seshadri (PhD) - Synthesis and caracterization of hydrogel-ceramic composites

• Dr. AlaEddin Douba - Lillian Gilbreth Postdoctoral Fellow; Rheology and printability of cementitious mixtures

Current Undergraduate Researchers

(2024) MaryGrace Fagan. (2023) Han Burgess, Daniel Hiller, Logan Mick, Angus Moore, Reece Tippery, Evan Williams. (2022) Vineeta Chen, Andre Ponsot.

Interested in academic-year MSE 499 research with Prof. Erk?  Send her an email and please include a 1-page resume, listing any past research experience. Want to get paid to do research in the summer?  Purdue Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) projects are typically available each year. Click here for more info.

Former Postdoctoral Research Associates

• Dr. Ria Corder (Lillian Gilbreth Postdoctoral Fellow, 2022-2024; now at University of Tennessee) - Rheology of Concentrated Particle Suspensions

Former Graduate Students

• Dr. Caitlin Adams (PhD, May 2023; Postdoc at the Living Materials Lab, Univ. of Colorado Boulder) - Implementation of Superabsorbent Polymers for Internally Cured Concrete

• Dr. Cole Davis (PhD, August 2021; Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division) - Relating the Formation Mechanisms and Kinetic Stability of Complex Shipboard Emulsions to the Physical and Chemical Properties of Model Surfactant-Oil-Water-Salt Systems

• Dr. Baishakhi Bose (PhD, August 2021; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) - Improving the Performance of Superabsorbent Polymers as Internal Curing Agents in Concrete: Effects of Novel Composite Hydrogels on Microstructure and Hydration of Cementitious Systems

• Mr. Ryan Szeto (MS, May 2021; Avery Dennison) - Rheological Characterization of Liquefaction Processing Effect on Corn Stover Slurries

• Dr. Jessica Sargent-Brown (PhD, August 2020; Cook Advanced Technologies) - Investigation of Ionically-Driven Structure-Property Relationships in Polyelectrolyte Networks

• Dr. Jerome Nash (PhD, May 2019; Composite and Hybrid Materials Branch of the U.S. Army Research Lab) - Interfacial Rheology and the Controlled Fabrication and Disruption of Stabilized Emulsions

• Dr. Eduard Caicedo-Casso (PhD, May 2019; Procter & Gamble) - Shear Rheometry Protocols to Advane the Development of Microstructured Fluids

• Dr. Anna Walter (PhD, August 2018; Hexcel) - Polymer Solution Rheology and Polymer Synthesis for Enhanced Oil Recovery link

• Dr. Travis Thornell (PhD, May 2018; U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center) - Synthesis and Characterization of Model Acrylic-Based Polymer Gels link

• Dr. Jason Hoffman-Bice (MS, December 2017; PhD, May 2022 from Northeastern University) - Using Ultrasonic Speckle Velocimetry to Detect Fluid Instabilities in a Surfactant Solution link

• Dr. Matthew Krafcik (PhD, August 2017; Sappi) - Informing the Design of Hydrogel-Based Internal Curing Agents for Mortar: Effects of Hydrogel Chemistry on Mortar Microstructure and Mechanics link

• Ms. Stacey Kelly (MS, August 2017; graduate student in Engineering Education at Virginia Tech) - Inverse Suspension Polymerization of Superabsorbent Polymer Hydrogels for Internally Cured Concrete link

• Dr. Lisa (Murray) Nielsen (PhD, August 2015; Purdue Graduate School Office of Fellowships and Postdocs) - Rheology of Suspensions and Pastes for Processing Applications link

• Ms. Qian Zhu (MS, May 2014; General Cable) - Effect of Multivalent Ions on the Swelling and Mechanical Behavior of Superabsorbent Polymers (SAPs) for Mitigation of Mortar Autogenous Shrinkage link

• Mr. Abhishek Bawiskar (MS, May 2014; Sanveo, Inc.) - Shear Rheological Characterization of Gel Healing Response and Construction of Rheo-PIV System link

Former Undergraduate Researchers

(2023) Ethan O’Banion, Mitchell Cox, Ethan Francoeur, Benjamin Kipp, Alec Lucas. (2022) Haotang Li, Katherine Eisenman. (2021) Matthew Kaboolian. (2020) Akul Seshadri, Bradley Nance, Pattiya Pibulchinda, Ethan Mann, Lauren Washington. (2019) Jonathan Kline, Edwin Velez-Calez, Xunkai Chen, Hosea Santiago. (2018) Zuha Adel. (2017) Mayank Jain. (2016) Cole Davis, Nicholas Macke. (2015) Matthew Parsons, Ziyu Cai, Austin Beggs, Hannah Woods. (2015) Krithika Subramaniam, Natalie Burgos, Yuhui An, Jenni Fifer. (2014) Emily Soltys, Morgan Rhein, Ben Helfrecht, Andrea Love. (2013) Sophie Ydstie, Chris Barney, Scott Mullen. (2012) Brooke Elliott, Kathleen Steckbeck, Anthony Hill, John Epling, Justin Cochran, MaryBeth Pavlick, Nelyan Lopez-Perez, Rachel Stone, Jessica Fox.