Seth Rasmussen, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, has reached a significant milestone in his research career. His 100th publication, “Revisiting the Early History of Synthetic Polymers: Critiques and New Insights” will be published in the November issue of the journal Ambix, which is considered the premier journal on the history of chemistry.
"This milestone drives home the fact that all the years of writing has actually resulted in a significant body of work and a legacy that I can be proud of,” said Rasmussen, whose research interests include the design and synthesis of conjugated materials, photovoltaics and photodetectors, organic light emitting diodes, the history of materials, chemical technology in antiquity and the application of history to chemical education.
His publications include 80 papers, 17 book chapters and three books.
Like many of his NDSU faculty colleagues, Rasmussen regularly works closely with graduate students in his research. It is a practice that is important for a several reasons.
"Modern scientific research is rarely something that can be accomplished by a lone researcher,” he explained. “As such, it is critical to have a dedicated group of researchers working together towards a particular goal. More so, the future requires well-trained scientists and the majority of the education and training of such scientists occurs in the research laboratory."
Rasmussen was named a Fulbright Senior Scholar by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission, and he conducted research in Australia earlier this year. "Research is critical to our future,” Rasmussen said. “It provides increased understanding of the world around us, drives education and provides new technology. We would not have any of our modern conveniences without it."
Rasmussen joined the NDSU faculty in 1999. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Washington State University and his doctorate at Clemson University. He also was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oregon from 1995-99.
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