Alexandra V. Bayles
Associate Professor
Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Interview: Winter 2024
CRISP Interviewer (CI): Where did you grow up and where did you get your PhD?
Alexandra V. Bayles (AB): Severna Park, MD / University of California, Santa Barbara
CI: How did you become interested in soft matter and polymers?
AB: Undergraduate research at UD! I was fortunate to begin soft matter research as a freshman engineering student.
CI: What is your research focus?
AB: My research group builds microfluidic platforms to study and enhance diffusive and advective transport in multiphase materials. Fundamental questions related to rheology, structure, and dynamics have implications in diverse applications and industries. Active projects in my group address grand challenges in additive manufacturing, bioprinting, and sustainable formulation science.
CI: What made you choose academic research? Why did you choose the University of Delaware?
AB: Academia allows PIs to interface with talented students, scientists at national labs, and experts in industry. I enjoy having the freedom to work on interesting problems while working with these diverse, inherently creative teams.
CI: What is the most valuable piece of advice you received when you were just getting started in science?
AB: Seek out opportunities to learn concepts outside of your narrow research focus. Some of the most impactful advances come from implementing ideas and approaches from complementary fields. Talk to everyone, attend diverse seminars, read broadly — you never know where you’ll pick up something useful!