Dr. Bill Sampson

Biography

Bill Sampson graduated from UMIST with a BSc in Paper Science in 1989 and completed his PhD in the same field in 1992. Initially joining as a Lecturer, he became a Senior Lecturer in 2004 and was promoted to Professor in 2013. He has held the position of Head of the School of Materials from 2015 to 2019 and served as the Chief Scientific Officer at the University’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre from 2020 to 2025. Currently, he is the Foundation Industries Challenge Lead at the Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials and Academic Lead of the pilot Centre of Expertise in Advanced Materials and Sustainability (CEAMS). Bill is a Chartered Scientist and Engineer and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, which underscores his expertise and commitment to the field. His research is centered on the application of scientific methods to model, simulate, and characterize heterogeneous materials, with a strong emphasis on the structure-property relationships. His current projects involve the development of statistical frameworks for self-assembly in colloidal systems, cellulose nanocomposites, and multifunctional cellulosic fibers. In addition, he studies percolation and transport properties within nanoparticulate composites, particularly focusing on applications in aerospace and automotive engineering.

Research Interests