Dr. Kathleen Stebe

Biography

Kathleen J. Stebe is the Goodwin Professor of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her B.A. in Economics and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the City University of New York. Her post-doctoral training took place in Compiegne, France, under the guidance of Dominique Barthes-Biesel. Stebe has held significant positions in academia, including serving as the chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. She has continued to contribute to the University of Pennsylvania in various administrative roles, including Deputy Dean. Her research concentrates on directed assembly, soft matter, and fluid interfaces, with particular emphasis on confinement, geometry, and emergent structures. The Stebe lab investigates complex fluids and fluid interfaces in settings far from equilibrium, with applications in materials assembly and transport. Key research interests include the mechanics of fluid interfaces influenced by surface-active molecules, complex structures formed at fluid interfaces, and strategies for soft reconfigurable systems. Stebe has been recognized by multiple esteemed organizations, including the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and she has received several prestigious awards throughout her career.

Research Interests

Awards