Poe leads Polymer Research Center

  Friday, August 26, 2016 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

As he settles into his new role as executive director of the Kansas Polymer Research Center at Pittsburg State, Jeff Poe can’t help but be impressed and inspired.

 

“It is immediately evident that many passionate people have contributed to the legacy of the KPRC,” Poe said. “In my interactions with the KPRC team, I find the level of concern for the success of the institution and for each other to be very motivating.”

 

Poe, who has served as an instructor in the Kelce College of Business for two years, was named interim executive director of the KPRC this summer. Poe is the former president of Pitt Plastics/Inteplast Group, where he served for eight years prior to joining the PSU faculty.

 

Kathleen Flannery, vice president for university advancement at PSU, said Poe’s professional experience and passion for Pittsburg State will prove invaluable as he leads the KPRC.

 

“Jeff’s leadership skills and visionary mindset will help us expand and enhance the success of the KPRC,” Flannery said. “The KPRC is a unique gem in our region, and we anticipate growth under Jeff’s leadership.” 

 

The KPRC, housed in the Tyler Research Center on Research Road east of main campus, is an internationally recognized center for chemistry and materials science with a specialization in vegetable oil-based polymer research and development. Scientists within the KPRC work with industrial partners, state and federal agencies, and producer associations to develop and commercialize Pittsburg State’s intellectual property. 

 

Poe said he looks forward to helping the KPRC grow and flourish by leveraging its already strong connections to other parts of the university.

 

“I look forward to being a witness to the transformational experiences that will most certainly occur here,” he said.

 

For more information on the KPRC, visit http://www.kansaspolymer.com.