The Waterborne, High-Solids and Powder Coatings Symposium sponsored by the School of Polymers and High Performance Materials at the University of Southern Mississippi has announced its 2014 Plenary Speaker. Professor James Rawlins of the University of Souther Mississippi will present “The World of Surface Coatings is Centered Around the Glass Transition Temperature. But Which One?”

James Rawlins received his B.S. in Polymer Science in 1993 and his Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering in 1999, both from The University of Southern Mississippi.  He began his professional career with Highland International, Inc., a protective coatings manufacturer in Boone, NC before joining Bayer Corporation as a senior research chemist in Pittsburgh, PA.  In 2002, he was promoted as a technical marketing drector for Europe, operating out of Leverkusen, Germany.  In 2004, Rawlins joined Southern Miss as an Assistant Professor of Polymer Science and Engineering where he now directs a 30+ member research team that includes 10 graduate students.  He has delivered more than 95 professional presentations, published 27 peer-reviewed articles, 57 conference papers and holds 10 U.S. and 3 European Patents.  His research efforts have won him several awards, notably the American Coating Show Best Paper Award in 2008.  His research interests focus on corrosion control, functional coatings, synthesis and characterization, and structure-property relationships for polymer matrices in surface coatings, composites and adhesives.