Edmund Stark, Ph.D.

Edmund Stark, MSU St. Andrews faculty, is currently researching methods to protect honey bees from harmful mites through hyperbranched polymer systems offering timed release of miticides. He is also responsible for oxazoline polymerizations and polyimide synthesis for gene transfection, and also leads MSU’s local Astronomy and Telescope Nights.

Prior to joining Michigan State University, he was responsible for research and development of novel functionalized polycaprolactone ionomers at the Michigan Molecular Institute and has researched and produced kg-scale quantities of unique end-capped hyperbranched polycarbosiloxane polymers. He has also worked on polycarbosiloxane, polycarbosilane, and POSS-based polymerizations and formulations directed toward space solar cell adhesives and coatings. He was also responsible for polybenzimidazole polymerizations and the synthesis and characterization of POSS-based polymerization additives focused on improving membrane conductivity in fuel cells.

He has 18 years of prior experience in monomer and polymer synthesis, characterization, and formulation for thin film polymer coatings in the electronics industry at the Dow Chemical Company. His past roles include plant support for a multi-step monomer synthesis and polymerization plant, development of toughened and aqueous-developable versions of existing polymers, and process development and scale-up of light-emitting polymers and their monomers. He has also performed synthesis and research of polycarbonate-polybutadiene copolymer systems, imide-epoxy resins, and styrene-acrylonitrile trimers. He has numerous publications and patents in these areas.

Stark, who earned his doctorate in physical-organic chemistry at Yale University, has been an adjunct professor of chemistry at several universities, teaching introductory chemistry and organic chemistry lab.