Performance Materials Lab

The William States Lee College of Engineering

From the Caribbean to the Lab: PML Begins Analysis on New Atlantic Samples

Offshore of Guadalupe aboard Dawn

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 … Read more

Heading into the New Year: Clean Water Caribbean Expedition

Lesser Antilles

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 … Read more

Preparing for Mechatronics in Spring 2026 with Dr. Tipton

funny robot

I am very excited to be teaching Mechatronics again this spring. This course remains a cornerstone of modern engineering education, serving as a vital bridge across traditionally separate disciplines. The Contemporary Engineering Mandate The unrelenting progression of automation, robotics, and complex cyber-physical systems decisively dictates that the next generation of engineers must possess a truly … Read more

Celebrating a Milestone: Congratulations to Md. Shah Arafin on His Master’s Degree! (And Welcoming Our Newest Ph.D. Student!)

Arafin Masters Graduation

The Performance Materials Lab (PML) is absolutely bursting with pride and excitement as we announce the successful completion of the Master of Science (M.S.) degree by one of our exceptional team members, Md. Shah Arafin! Arafin has been an invaluable part of our research group, and his dedication, intellect, and hard work have been truly … Read more

Visit to MIT and Harvard

Harvard Materials Science and Engineering

Wrapped up my time in Boston after the fantastic AIChE conference with a couple of truly inspiring visits to two of the world’s leading academic powerhouses! First stop was MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The energy of innovation there is palpable—from new structural materials and quantum computing applications to advanced biomaterials and sustainable … Read more

Ocean Science Meets the Arctic: UNC Charlotte’s Performance Materials Lab Brings Real-Time Research to Hough High School

Tipton Arctic Research

What does it look like when a high school science class connects live with researchers working at the top of the world? On September 24, students in Craig Arkfeld’s Environmental Science class at Hough High School in Cornelius, North Carolina, found out firsthand. Dr. Roger Tipton, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Performance … Read more

First-Time Author Publishes Important PFAS Data

PFAS Dataset Paper

First-Time Author Publishes Groundbreaking PFAS Data We’re thrilled to announce the publication of a significant new paper, “Temporal Dataset of Emerging and Legacy PFAS Concentrations (ng/L) in 11 Inland Watersheds (Lakes, Rivers, Islands) and Median PFAS Concentrations Across 14 Seas and Oceans Over Multiple Time Periods.” This marks a major milestone, as it’s the first … Read more