Postdoctoral Scholar-Fixed Term

Position Summary

• Develop, formulate, and characterize bio-based adhesive and composite systems utilizing agricultural and lignocellulosic feedstocks.
• Investigate relationships among raw-material characteristics, particle size, dispersion, adhesiveformulation, processing conditions, and final material performance.
• Conduct laboratory-scale fabrication and testing of plywood and other wood-based compositematerials.
• Evaluate adhesive bonding and interfacial behavior, including glue-line quality, wet shearperformance, wood failure, curing behavior, and moisture response.
• Conduct research on drying and dewatering of wood and lignocellulosic materials and evaluatedrying kinetics, dimensional changes, energy-related process performance, and resultingmaterial properties.
• Conduct mechanical, physical, thermal, chemical, and surface characterization of renewablematerials and composites.
• Utilize appropriate analytical techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), thermal analysis, microscopy, contact-angle measurements, particle-sizecharacterization, and mechanical testing.
• Design experiments and use statistical and multivariate methods to evaluate relationshipsamong feedstock properties, processing conditions, and material performance.
• Analyze experimental data and maintain appropriate documentation of experimental methodsand results.
• Prepare manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication, technical reports, presentations, andsponsor deliverables.
• Collaborate with faculty, students, research staff, external university collaborators, materialsuppliers, and industry partners.
• Assist in translating laboratory findings to pilot- and commercial-scale applications.
• Contribute to the development of research proposals and new research directions related tosustainable materials, renewable feedstocks, packaging, forest products, and bioprocessing.
• Assist with mentoring graduate and undergraduate researchers associated with projectactivities.
• These responsibilities reflect the proposed experimental work, including soy-meal particle-sizeand formulation studies, FTIR and thermal analysis, plywood performance testing, wheat-soyadhesive optimization, and the DOE wood drying, surface, adhesion, composite, andmechanical-property research.

As an institution of higher learning, Michigan State University is committed to providing a safe environment for its students, faculty, and staff in support of its educational mission. With this commitment, the University conducts criminal background checks and professional misconduct reviews of all applicants for employment in faculty, academic staff, and executive management searches.

Professional Misconduct Review

A professional misconduct review is a prerequisite for a candidate to be selected for this position. Applicants will be asked to disclose whether they are subject to any pending investigation, findings or sanctions related to professional misconduct. Professional misconduct includes misconduct related to a person’s employment, including, but not limited to, theft, embezzlement, research integrity, discrimination, or harassment under civil rights laws and policies, including protected identity harassment, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct (sexual assault, sexual exploitation, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, etc.), and retaliation. All applicants will be asked to sign an authorization and release, which authorizes the University to contact the candidate’s current and former employers, for a period of 7 years prior to the date of application, related to any pending investigations, findings of responsibility and/or sanctions related to professional misconduct. Nothing will be sent to current or former employers unless the candidate reaches the semi-finalist stage.

The existence of professional misconduct history does not automatically exclude a candidate from employment. The University will assess the history, including any information provided by the candidate, in determining whether it is compatible with the position. The University may decline to hire a candidate based on the professional misconduct review. All records obtained from external employers will be kept in a secure location, separate from personnel files. If an applicant fails to sign the authorization and release, the application will be deemed incomplete and will be withdrawn.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Doctorate -Chemical Engineering, Material Science, Engineering, Forest Products/Wood Science, or closely related field.

Minimum Requirements

• Demonstrated research experience with bio-based materials, biomass, lignocellulosic materials, renewable polymers, adhesives, or composite materials.
• Demonstrated research experience in biomass processing, conversion, fractionation, modification, or characterization.
• Demonstrated experience investigating material structure-property, composition-property, or process-property relationships.
• Demonstrated experience with adhesives, polymeric materials, engineered wood products, or composite-material fabrication and testing.
• Hands-on experience with at least two analytical or materials-characterization techniques, such as FTIR spectroscopy, DSC/TGA or other thermal analysis, microscopy, contact-angle or surface analysis, particle-size analysis, or mechanical testing.
• Demonstrated experience in experimental design and quantitative/statistical analysis of experimental data.
• A demonstrated record of peer-reviewed scientific publication.
• Demonstrated ability to independently plan, conduct, analyze, and document laboratory research.
• Demonstrated written and oral scientific communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary research teams.

Desired Qualifications

• Research involving bio-based adhesives or engineered wood products.
• Experience with wood, cellulose, lignocellulosic biomass, agricultural feedstocks, plant proteins, or other renewable materials.
• Experience in interfacial chemistry, surface science, adhesion, or surface modification.
• Experience in biorefinery, biomass conversion, or sustainable materials-processing technologies.
• Experience evaluating the mechanical and physical properties of wood, polymers, or composite materials.
• Experience with experimental optimization, multivariate statistical analysis, response-surface methodology, or related data-analysis approaches.
• Experience translating laboratory research toward pilot-scale or industrial application.
• Experience collaborating with industrial partners on applied research or technology development.
  
  

Required Application Materials

• Cover letter describing relevant research experience and qualifications.
• Curriculum vitae.
• Contact information for three professional references.

Review of Applications Begins On

10/30/2026

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.