Research Interests
Biomanufacturing, cellular engineering and cell culture, with a primary focus on plant-based systems for synthesis of natural products
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Chemical Engineering - Cornell University
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Chemical Engineering - Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
Biosketch
Susan Roberts is the Dean of the Francis College of Engineering. She was previously a Professor and Head of Chemical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). She received her BS degree in Chemical Engineering from WPI in 1992, PhD in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University in 1998, served on the faculty at UMass Amherst Chemical Engineering for 17 years and joined WPI as Professor and Head in 2015.
To me there is nothing more exciting than watching a student learn and develop and there is no greater privilege than having the title of professor. My favorite part of my job is being able to mentor and teach students in a research context. There is no greater satisfaction than to watch a timid, insecure student gain confidence through knowledge and practice.
I am inspired by the ability of nature, in particular plant systems, to adapt and respond to stresses to enable both survival and growth. Plants synthesize a diversity of specialized metabolites that serve as human health agents, flavors, colorings, agricultural chemicals and bioenergy feedstocks, but too often in low yields to be economically harvested. The primary focus of my research is on understanding the fundamental complexities in specialized metabolism and development of renewable, engineered plant cell culture systems to synthesize valuable clinical and industrial molecules.
Selected Awards and Honors
- National Science Foundation (NSF) ADVANCE Program
- Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) Bits-to-Bytes Program
- National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) Workforce Development Award
- UMass President’s Science and Technology Fund Award
- NSF IGERT Award
- NSF CAREER Award
- UMass Amherst College of Engineering Junior Faculty, Teaching and Advising Award