Wan-Ting Grace Chen Lab Ph.D. Opportunity in Chemical, Plastics and Polymer Engineering at UMass Lowell
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Associate Professor Wan-Ting Grace Chen is seeking a motivated Ph.D. student with a Chemical Engineering, Plastics Engineering or Polymer Engineering background to join the Plastics & Environment Research Laboratory at UMass Lowell during academic year 2026–2027.
Associate Professor Wan-Ting (Grace) Chen is seeking a motivated Ph.D. student with a background in Chemical Engineering and/or Plastics or Polymer Engineering to join her research group at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Chen directs the Plastics & Environment Research Laboratory in the Department of Plastics Engineering. Her group works on plastics sustainability, including sustainable materials, chemical and biological recycling, circular-systems analysis, biodegradable and biobased polymers, microplastics, safer solvents and chemicals, biomass conversion, life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis.
Degree route: UMass Lowell offers a Ph.D. in Engineering with a Plastics Engineering option, a joint Polymer Science/Plastics Engineering pathway, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering. The recruitment announcement does not identify the final registration pathway, so applicants should confirm it with the supervisor.
Funding note: the recruitment announcement does not state that this position includes a guaranteed research assistantship, teaching assistantship, stipend, tuition waiver or summer support. UMass Lowell offers assistantships subject to availability, and research assistantships are arranged with individual faculty. Applicants should request written funding details before accepting an offer.
How to express interest: complete the linked interest form. Candidates selected to proceed must also submit the applicable formal UMass Lowell graduate application and meet the selected program's current admission requirements.
Benefits
- Doctoral research mentorship from Wan-Ting Grace Chen in the Plastics & Environment Research Laboratory.
- Work on sustainability challenges involving plastic recycling, renewable polymers, microplastics, safer chemicals and circular systems.
- Access to laboratory reactors and characterisation tools for analysing plastics, polymers, fuels, thin films and microplastics.
- Potential eligibility for university research or teaching assistantships, subject to availability and a separate written offer.
- The stipend, tuition coverage, appointment duration and summer support are not stated in the announcement.
Eligibility summary
- Motivated prospective Ph.D. students with a background in Chemical Engineering, Plastics Engineering, Polymer Engineering or a closely related discipline.
- Strong interest in plastics sustainability, sustainable materials, chemical recycling, circular systems, polymers or related environmental research.
- No nationality restriction is stated; international applicants must meet current academic, English-language, financial-documentation and U.S. immigration requirements.
- Applicants must satisfy the formal requirements of the relevant UMass Lowell doctoral program.
Requirements
- Relevant preparation in chemical, plastics, polymer, materials or related engineering.
- Research interests aligned with the lab's plastics and environmental sustainability work.
- Ability to complete a research-based doctoral degree at UMass Lowell.
- Compliance with the current admissions requirements for the selected Ph.D. pathway.
Documents required
- Complete the recruitment interest form linked in this listing.
- Formal doctoral applications currently require a statement of purpose, academic transcripts and three recommendations.
- The current engineering admissions page also lists GRE and English-proficiency requirements where applicable; applicants should verify these before submitting.
- Any additional program-specific materials requested by UMass Lowell or the prospective supervisor.
Language/test requirements
How to submit applications
Provider: Plastics & Environment Research Laboratory, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Complete the interest form at https://lnkd.in/g52tCPk9. The relevant UMass Lowell doctoral-program information is available at https://www.uml.edu/catalog/graduate/engineering/plastics-engineering/doctoral-programs.aspx.
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