Department Head and Magnavox Professor
Contact Information
- Office Address: 419 Dougherty Engineering Building
- Phone: 865-974-0637
- E-mail: cmeredith@utk.edu
Education
BS, 1993, Georgia Institute of Technology
PhD, 1998, University of Texas at Austin
Biography
Professor Meredith received his B degree in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech (1993) and the PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas, Austin (1998). From there he was a National Research Council Postdoc at the NIST Polymers Division from 1998 to 2000. He joined the faculty in the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech in 2000, where he went on to serve as Executive Director of the Renewable Bioproducts Institute (2020-2026). He joined the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Tennessee in 2026, to serve as the Department Head and Magnavox Professor.
His research interests include polymers, surfaces, interfaces and colloids. In particular, he has focused on bio-based sustainable polymers, including the use of chitin and cellulose to derive alternative packaging materials. He also is active in developing energy- and cost-efficient processes in forest and plant-based products. He was an early pioneer in the field of polymer high-throughput materials discovery and characterization, and more recently works on the application of AI and machine-learning tools to polymer discovery and processing.
Awards and Recognitions
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AIChE Andrew Chase Award, Division of Forest and Plant-Based Bioproducts (2025)
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AIChE Fellow (2024)
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AIChE David Himmelblau Award for Innovations in Computer-Based Chemical Engineering Education (2024)
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Georgia Tech Outstanding Service Award (2023)
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Georgia Tech Curriculum Innovation Award (2022)
Research
The Meredith group researches the surfaces and interfaces of advanced materials. Their work applies fundamentals of polymer, surface, and colloid science to find new ways to engineer materials useful to society and industry. Recent projects have emphasized the utilization of sustainable materials and energy efficient processing to achieve circular manufacturing and use of plastics, composites, foams, and coatings, among others. Many of these materials are critical for food security, energy efficiency, and are closely connected to greenhouse gas reduction.
Primary thrusts of Meredith’s work include:
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Development of biobased barrier materials using cellulose and chitin nanomaterials, sourced from plants and food waste, for utilization in packaging of food, medicine, and electronics.
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Addressing challenges of current recycling methods by development of new circular processes such as upcycling of plastics and plastics from biomass.
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Utilizing AI, machine-learning, and high-throughput characterization to accelerate materials discovery and process development.
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Integrating advanced, energy-efficient drying and multiphase forming into paper and bioproduct processing.
- Development of surfactant-free foams and other multi-phase colloidal systems, with applications in energy, packaging, personal care, and food.
Publications
- S Fagbemi, Y Ji, JJ Rhone, F Rubaiya, JC Meredith, ML Shofner, ..., Synergistic Multi‐Layer Renewable Barrier Coatings on Porous Packaging Materials Using Enhanced Anionic Cellulose‐Based Biopolymers and Chitosan, Advanced Materials Interfaces 13 (2), e00684, 2026
- S Wang, X Zong, X Du, SH Behrens, JC Meredith, Oil-Coated Bubble Flotation for Separating Hydrophilic Particles from Water, Recycling 11 (1), 12, 2026
- X Yu, JJ Rhone, JC Meredith, ML Shofner, TAL Harris, Wrinkling and de-wrinkling of renewable barrier-enhanced polymer thin films on paper through a roll-to-roll system, Progress in Organic Coatings 212, 109848, 2026
- Y Lu, JT Rolle, T Hickman, Y Ji, E Klingenberg, N Stingelin, JC Meredith, Transforming Renewable Carbohydrate-Based Polymers into Oxygen and Moisture Barriers at Elevated Humidity, ACS Applied Polymer Materials 7 (21), 14573-14580, 2025
- OO Fadiran, JC Meredith, Sporopollenin Surface Characterization with Inverse Liquid Chromatography, ACS Omega 10 (50), 61670-61678, 2025