Flexible sensing and wearables
Utilizing flexible sensors and wearables to understand how the human body interacts with the world around us…
Composite materials
Development of new bio-based and sustainable composite materials for a better future for us and the planet…
Clean water
Our research delves into the critical issue of water pollution, examining its impacts on both freshwater and ocean environments …
About Research Group
The Performance Materials Laboratory at UNC Charlotte advances materials science at the intersection of high-performance engineering and environmental sustainability. Our research addresses two parallel imperatives: developing next-generation materials that outperform conventional options in demanding applications, and understanding the chemical contaminants, including PFAS and microplastics, that threaten water systems globally.
We operate at the boundary between fundamental science and applied engineering. Federal sponsors including the National Science Foundation fund our basic research programs, while direct industry partnerships ensure our discoveries move toward real-world deployment. Field research extends beyond the laboratory to open-ocean and coastal environments through our partnership with the Sustainable Seas Institute and its research vessel R/V Dawn.
Our team brings together researchers from materials science, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and environmental science. This breadth is not incidental. The problems we work on require it.
Dr. Roger Tipton
Roger Tipton is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science at UNC Charlotte, where he directs the Performance Materials Laboratory. He holds pending patent applications on advanced materials and is the principal investigator on an active NSF award examining transarctic contamination.
Before entering academia, Dr. Tipton spent 25 years in industry, progressing from manufacturing engineer to chief executive. That background shapes how he trains researchers, structures projects, and evaluates whether a discovery has real-world legs. He chairs the board of the Sustainable Seas Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates R/V Dawn for ocean research in partnership with UNC Charlotte, and serves on the board of the Polymer Center of Excellence.
Select Publications
- T.L. Powell, J.J. Doughty, Y. Shimabukuro, C.L. Kirschner, R.B. Tipton, Consumer food waste upcycled into lignocellulosic materials that are utilized in polyethene biocomposites, MRS Advances, June 2024
- How I navigated through my midlife PhD, R.B. Tipton, Nature, 2022
- Roger B. Tipton, Dianhao Hou, Zhimin Shi, Thomas M. Weller, Venkat R. Bhethanabotla, Optical interconnects on a flexible substrate by multi-material hybrid additive and subtractive manufacturing, Additive Manufacturing Journal, Volume 48, Part A, 2021
- Digital fabrication of a small diameter polymer optical waveguide, VR Bhethanabotla, TM Weller, RB Tipton, JT Bentley… – US Patent 10,852,479, 2020
- Roger B. Tipton, Dianhao Hou, Eduardo A. Rojas-Nastrucci, Thomas M. Weller, Venkat R. Bhethanabotla, Laser Enhanced Direct Print Additive Manufacturing of Embedded Circular Cross-Section Optical Fiber Interconnects for Board Level Computing Devices, Additive Manufacturing Journal, Volume 34, 2020
About Publications Group
Our group is working at the interface of materials science, electronics, and additive manufacturing with the goal of advancing understanding of sustainable biomaterials, contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.
- We specialize in both computational and experimental studies.
- We engage with government agencies and industrial partners to maximize the impact of our work and maximize the benefits to society.
For more information on the research of our group please feel free to contact Roger Tipton.
News & Field Reports
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From the Caribbean to the South Pacific: Expanding the Search for a Global Baseline
The Performance Materials Lab (PML) at UNC Charlotte is thrilled to announce a significant expansion of our global water quality initiative. Following our successful campaign in the Caribbean, we are turning our gaze to the South Pacific in a new collaboration with Dr. Ulyana Nadia Horodyskyj. We are preparing to receive and test samples from…
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From the Caribbean to the Lab: PML Begins Analysis on New Atlantic Samples
The Performance Materials Lab (PML) at UNC Charlotte is excited to announce the next phase of our ongoing research into coastal water health. Our partners at the Sustainable Seas Institute (SSI) have successfully returned from their ten-day expedition through the Lesser Antilles, delivering a critical new dataset directly to our shoreside facilities. A Collaborative Success…
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Heading into the New Year: Clean Water Caribbean Expedition
From December 30 to January 8, the Performance Materials Lab team will be heading into the Lesser Antilles for a multi-island expedition across St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, and Guadeloupe. This ten‑day journey will launch our new year of research and education with a focus on vibrant tropical ecosystems, coastal communities, and the changing health of…