Biography
John G. Ekerdt is Professor Emeritus (Norbert Dittrich-Welch Chair Emeritus in Chemical Engineering) of the Cockrell School of Engineering. He was Associate Dean for Research in Engineering, with responsibility for sustaining and growing the research portfolio and for facilities, and the Dick Rothwell Endowed Chair in Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. He served as Chemical Engineering Department Chair from 1997-2005. He has more than 300 refereed publications, two books and three book chapters, and seven U.S. patents. He has supervised 50 Ph.D. and 9 M.S. students. Using chemical and kinetic probes to unravel reaction pathways, mechanisms and reaction rates, his research has explored: 1) the kinetics of single crystal, nanoparticle and ultrathin film growth, 2) the chemistry that controls film and nanoparticle nucleation on surfaces, and 3) the relationships between precursor molecular structure, its reactivity and the properties of the electronic material that is grown. Current research interests focus on the surface, growth and materials chemistry of metal, dielectric and perovskite films and nanostructures.
