Joseph A. Gardella, Jr., University at Buffalo, State University of New York
Joseph Gardella, Jr. joined UB in 1982, and is currently the John & Frances Larkin Professor of Chemistry and the director of the UB/ Buffalo Public Schools Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Partnership. Joe received a B.S. in Chemistry and B.A. in Philosophy from Oakland University, Rochester, MI, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh. From 1989 to 1990 he was a program officer at the National Science Foundation Chemistry Division and from 1995 to 2000 he was the Associate Dean for External Affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences. Joe has received many awards for both his research and community activities. These include Fellow of AVS (2004) and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentorship (2005).
Joe is recognized for his accomplishments in the development of quantitative analysis and surface chemistry applied to the investigation of environmental effects at polymer surfaces and tissue engineering using synthetic biomaterials. He also works at the intersection of environmental studies and public participation, especially in air and soil pollution. Joe has published approximately ~245 papers in refereed journals and books, and has an h-index = 32 (according to the Web of Science). He has also been awarded 9 patents based on his work.
Mentoring and Leadership Activities
Joseph Gardella, Jr. is not only an accomplished scientist but also a leader at UB in the development of curricula for undergraduate and graduate students as well as in the community. He also is an effective mentor within his own group and to scientists in the AVS community. For example, Joe mentored Dr. Tammy Millilo, who is confined to a wheelchair, through her B.S. and Ph.D. in Chemistry at UB. Today she is a postdoctoral scholar in his group. Joe is also a member-at-large of the AVS Applied Surface Science Division and is a member of its committee for student awards.
Joe was a senior member of UB Undergraduate College and helped to develop a new general education program with an emphasis on innovative science and laboratory courses for non-science majors. He is currently a member of the UB Honors College Council, and the UB representative to the Western New York Service Learning Coalition. Joe was also a co-PI on the Community Linked Interdisciplinary Research (CLIR) Program at UB, funded by the Hewlett Foundation, and served as the Program Director of a NIH-funded summer undergraduate program, Research Institute in Biomedical Materials Science and Engineering. Joe also develops innovative masters programs in the sciences, and is a co-PI of the Professional Science Masters Program in CAS, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Joe is also active in environmental programs at UB and in the community, including as a member of the US Army Corp of Engineers Lake Ontario Ordinance Works Restoration Advisory Board.