Faculty & Staff

Dr. Weizhong Zou

Dr. Weizhong Zou

Assistant Professor of Chemical, Biological, and Materials Engineering
Phone: 813-396-0787 |Office: ENC 2210

Email: wzou@usf.edu

Research webpage

Research Clusters: Advanced Materials, Energy and Sustainability

Honors and Awards

  • Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, 2016
  • North American Connect & Development Award (partner of Procter & Gamble), 2016 
  • Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling, Honorable Mention, 2010
  • Sinopec Excellence Scholarship, 2009
  • ENN Energy Scholarship, 2008

Education and Training

  • Postdoctoral Researcher, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
  • PhD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  • MS, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  • BS, China University of Petroleum, Beijing

Research Overview

To date, our science and technology have entered an era where innovations are powered by data-driven tools. Meanwhile, our chemical industries are embracing for a highly automated future. Our research will contribute solutions to a more resiliant and digitalized world by deploying interdisciplinary technologies to empower material innovations in chemistry and processing through the integration of first-principle theories, multi-scale modelling, advanced computing and  characterizations as well as informatics and data science.

Selected Publications

  • Zheng, Y., Sen, D., Zou, W., Dai, K., Olsen B.D., “Real-Time Quantification of Molecular-Level Dynamic Behaviors Underpinning Shear Thinning in End-Linked Associative Polymer Networks” Journal of American Chemistry Society 146 (2024) 35285-35294. (DOI).
  • Qin, K.P., Herzog-Arbeitman, A., Zou, W., Chakraborty, S., Kristufek, S.L., Husted, K.E.L., Joly, G.D., Craig, S.L., Olsen, B.D., Johnson, J.A., “Toughening and Imparting Deconstructability to 3D-Printed Glassy Thermosets with ‘Transferinker’ Additives” Advanced Materials 36 (2024) 2406600. (DOI). 
  • Walsh, D.J., Zou, W., Schneider, L., Mello, R., Deagen, M.E., Mysona, J., Lin, T.S., de Pablo, J.J., Jensen, K.F., Audus, D.J., Olsen, B.D., “Community Resource for Innovation in Polymer Technology (CRIPT): A Scalable Polymer Material Data Structure” ACS Central Science 9 (2023) 330-338. (DOI). 
  • Zou, W., Martell-Monterroza, A., Yao, Y., Millik, S.C., Cencer, M.M., Rebello, N.J., Beech, H.K., Morris, M.A., Lin, T.S., Castano, C.S., Kalow, J.A., Craig, S.L., Nelson, A., Moore, J.S., Olsen, B.D., “Extending BigSMILES to non-covalent bonds in supramolecular polymer assemblies” Chemical Science 13 (2022) 12045-12055. (DOI).
  • Zou, W., Tupper, A., Rebello, N., Ranasinghe, D., Green, W., Couch, C., Olsen, B.D. “Multiscale Modeling and Characterization of Radical-Initiated Modification of Molten Polyolefins” Macromolecules 55 (2022) 5901-5915. (DOI).