Assistant Professor of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron

Education Postdoc. Polymers Division Dec. 2011 National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD Advisor: Jack F. Douglas Ph.D. Chemical Engineering Dec. 2009 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Advisor: Isaac C. Sanchez B.S. Chemical Engineering May 2005 The University of Florida Gainesville, FL Undergraduate Research Advisor: Anuj Chauhan Professional Experience Awards and Honors External Support Refereed Publications Assistant Professor of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron 2012 present Postdoctoral Research Associate, Nat. Inst. of Standards and Technology 2010 2011 Graduate Research Assistant, The University of Texas at Austin 2005 2009 Teaching Assistant, The University of Texas at Austin 2006 2008 Summer Engineering Research Intern, Innovia, LLC 2004 2005 Undergraduate Research Assistant, University of Florida 2002 2005 Summer Engineering Research Intern, Syntheon, LLC 1999 2001 Intern, University of Miami Cardiovascular Engineering Lab 1998, 1999 2000 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award, 2016. NSF Career Award, 2016. William M. Keck Foundation $1 million research grant recipient (lead investigator), 2013. Most outstanding poster in Materials Science, 2011 Sigma Xi poster competition. NIST NRC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, 2010 2011. Finalist, Frank J. Padden, Jr. Award for Excellence in Polymer Physics Graduate Research, 2009. Best Oral Presentation by Student, 2007 Southwest Theoretical Chemistry Conference. NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention, 2005 2006. National Merit Scholar, 2000 2004. 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award ($15,000) NSF Career Award: Glass formation in strongly interacting polymers predictive understanding from high-throughput simulation and theory ($475,000). Center for Tire Research, Modeling Strain-Energy Distributions and Failure Properties for Idealized Particle Dispersions and Interfaces in Filled Elastomers ($33,275). W. M. Keck Foundation Research Grant: Genetic Algorithm for Exploration and Design of Glass- Forming Materials ($1,000,000). NSF DMR, CDMR research grant: Computationally-Driven Rational Control of Glass Formation in Block Copolymers ($263,460). NSF XSEDE supercomputer time grant: Design Principles for Glass Formation in Nanostructured Polymers. 23. Mangalara, J. H., Marvin, M. D., Wiener, N. R., Mackura, M. E., Simmons, D. S.*, Does Fragility of Glass Formation Determine the Strength of Tg-Nanoconfinement Effects?, in review at The Journal of Chemical Physics (2016). 1

22. Mangalara, J. H., Mackura, M. E., Marvin, M. D., Simmons, D. S.*, The Relationship between Dynamic and Pseudo-Thermodynamic Measures of the Glass Transition Temperature in Nanostructured Materials, in review at The Journal of Chemical Physics (2016). 21. Guo, Y., Chowdhury, M., Wang, Y., Merling, W. L., Mangalara, J. H., Simmons, D. S. *, and Priestley, R. D. *, Spatially-distributed rheological properties in confined polymers by non-contact shear, in review at Nature Communications (2016). 20. Patra, T. K., Meenakshisundaram, V., Hung, J., and Simmons, D. S.*, Neural-Network-Biased Genetic Algorithms for Materials Discovery: Evolutionary Algorithms that Learn, in revision at ACS Combinatorial Science (2016). 19. Meenakshisundaram, V., Hung, J., Patra, T. K., and Simmons, D. S.*, Designing Sequence- Specific Copolymer Compatibilizers Using a Molecular-Dynamics-Simulation-Based Genetic Algorithm, in revision at Macromolecules (2016). 18. Merling, W. L., Mileski, J. B., Douglas, J. F., and Simmons, D. S. *, The Glass Transition of a Single Macromolecule, Macromolecules (2016) Articles ASAP. doi: 10.1021/acs.macromol.6b01461. 17. Mangalara, J. H., Marvin, M. D. & Simmons, D. S. Three-Layer Model for the Emergence of Ultra-Stable Glasses from the Surfaces of Supercooled Liquids. J. Phys. Chem. B, 120 (2016): 4861-4865. doi:10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b04736 16. Simmons, D. S. * An Emerging Unified View of Dynamic Interphases in Polymers. Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 217 (special issue on Young Talents in Polymer Science ) (2016): 137-148. doi 10.1002/macp.201500284. (highlighted in Materials Views on Feb 3 rd 2016). 15. Mangalara, J. H., and Simmons, D. S. * Tuning polymer glass formation behavior and mechanical properties with oligomeric diluents of varying stiffness. ACS Macro Letters, 4 (2015): 1134-1138. doi: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.5b00635. 14. Ruan, D. & Simmons, D. S. * Roles of Chain Stiffness and Segmental Rattling in Ionomer Glass Formation. Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, 53 (2015): 1458-1469. doi: 10.1002/polb.23788. 13. Ruan, D. & Simmons, D. S. * Glass Formation near Covalently Grafted Interfaces: Ionomers as a Model Case. Macromolecules 48 (2015): 2313-2323. doi: 10.1021/acs.macromol.5b00025. 12. Ye, C., Weiner, C. G., Tyagi, M., Uhrig, D., Orski, S. V., Soles, C. L., Vogt, B. D., and Simmons, D. S. * Understanding the Decreased Segmental Dynamics of Supported Thin Polymer Films Reported by Incoherent Neutron Scattering. Macromolecules 48 (2015): 801 808. doi: 10.1021/ma501780g. 11. Lang, R. J., Merling, W. L., and Simmons, D. S. * Combined dependence of nanoconfined Tg on interfacial energy and softness of confinement. ACS Macro Letters 3 (2014): 758-762. doi: 12.1021/mz500361v. 10. Marvin, M. D., Lang, R. J., and Simmons, D. S. * Nanoconfinement Effects on the Fragility of Glass Formation of a Model Freestanding Polymer Film. Soft Matter 10, no 18 (2014): 3166-3170. doi:10.1039/c3sm53160k. 9. Mackura, M. E., and Simmons, D. S. * Enhancing Heterogenous Crystallization Resistance in a Bead-spring Polymer Model by Modifying Bond Length. Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics 52, no. 2 (2014): 134 140. doi:10.1002/polb.23398 8. Lang, R. J., and Simmons, D. S. * Interfacial Dynamic Length Scales in the Glass Transition of 2

a Model Freestanding Polymer Film and Their Connection to Cooperative Motion. Macromolecules 46, no. 24 (2013): 9818 25. doi:10.1021/ma401525q. 7. Simmons, D. S. *, Cicerone, M. T., Douglas, J. F. * Response to Comment on Generalized Localization Model of Relaxation in Glass-Forming Liquids by A. Ottochian et al. Soft Matter 9 (2013): 7892 7899. 6. Simmons. D. S. *, Sanchez, I. C. Scaled Particle Theory for the Coil-Globule Transition of an Isolated Polymer Chain. Macromolecules 46, no 11 (2013): 4691 4697. 5. Simmons, D. S., Cicerone, M. T., Zhong, Q., Tyagi, M., Douglas, J. F. * Generalized Localization Model of Relaxation in Glass-forming Liquids. Soft Matter 8, no. 45 (2012): 11455 11461. (cover article) 4. Simmons, D. S., Douglas, J. F. * Nature and interrelations of fast dynamic properties in a coarse-grained glass-forming polymer melt, Soft Matter 7 (2011): 11010-11020. 3. Simmons, D. S., Sanchez, I. C. * Pressure Effects on Polymer Coil-Globule Transitions Near an LCST, Macromolecules 43 (2010): 1571-1574. 2. Simmons, D. S., Sanchez, I. C. * A Model for a Thermally Induced Polymer Coil-to-Globule Transition, Macromolecules, 41 (2008): 5885-5889. 1. Simmons, D., Chauhan, A. * Influence of Physical and Chemical Heterogeneity Shape on Thin Film Rupture. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 295, no. 2 (2006): 472 481. (* denotes corresponding author; denotes high school or undergraduate author at time of work) Invited Presentations 16. Simmons, D. S., Merling, W. L., Lang, R. J., Hung, J., Patra, T., Meenakshisundaram. V., Interconnections between high frequency dynamics and glass formation behavior, Naval Research Lab Seminar, Washington, DC, 2016. 15. Simmons, D. S., Insights into the Glass Transition from Simulations of Dynamics in the Deeply Supercooled Regime, Gordon Research Conference on Polymer Physics, South Hadley, MA, 2016. 14. Simmons, D. S., Rational Control of Polymer Glass Formation and Mechanical Properties with Molecular Additives, American Chemical Society Rubber Division Spring Meeting, San Antonio, TX, 2016. 13. Simmons, D. S., Computationally-Driven Polymer Design: Elastomers, Interfaces, and Additives, Bridgestone Corporation Internal Seminar, Akron, OH, 2016. 12. Simmons, D. S., Simulation-enabled genetic algorithm for polymer glass formation. American Chemical Society Fall meeting, Boston, MA, 2015. 11. Simmons, D. S., Simulation of Behavior at the Nanometer Size Scale. 2015 American Physical Society March Meeting DPOLY Short Course on Glasses and the Glass Transition, San Antonio, Texas, 2015. 10. Simmons, D. S., Tuning polymer glass formation with additives and ions. American Physical Society March Meeting, San Antonio, Texas, 2015 9. Simmons, D. S., Merling, W., Lang, R., Mileski, J., Nanoconfinement Effects on the Glass Transition of Nanostructured Polymers, North American Thermal Analysis Society Annual 3

Conference, Santa Fe, NM, 2014. 8. Simmons, D. S., Mangalara, J., Tuning Polymer Glass Formation with Oligomeric Additives, North American Thermal Analysis Society Annual Conference, Santa Fe, NM, 2014. 7. Simmons, D. S., Mangalara, J., Merling, W., Lang, R., Ruan, D., Tuning Polymer Glass Formation with Additives, Interfaces, and Ions, Pennsylvania State Polymer Physics Seminar Series, University Park, PA, 2014. 6. Simmons, D. S., Nanoconfinement effects on the glass transition of nanostructured polymers, Ohio Rubber Group Technical Meeting, Twinsburg, OH, 2014. 5. Simmons, D. S., Merling, W., Lang, R., Mileski, J., Nanoconfinement Effects on the Glass Transition of Nanostructured Polymers, Ohio State University Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Seminar Series, Columbus, OH, 2014. 4. Simmons, D. S., Merling, W., Hung., J., Meenakshisundaram, V., Challenges and Strategies in Computational Design of Glass-Forming Liquids, Columbus, OH, 2014. 3. Simmons, D. S., Lang, R., Mackura, M., Marvin, M., Merling, W., Confinement Effects on the Glass Formation Behavior of Nanostructured Polymers, Iowa State University Department of Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series, Ames, IA, 2013. 2. Simmons, D. S., Lang, R., Mackura, M., Marvin, M., Nanoconfinement Effects on the Glass Formation Behavior of Nanostructured Polymers, University of Florida Department of Chemical Engineering Seminar Series, Gainesville, FL, 2013. 1. Simmons, D. S., Short-Time Dynamics of Glass-Forming Liquids in Protein Preservation, University of Akron Department of Polymer Engineering Seminar Series, 2011. Conference Proceedings and Contributed Presentations J. Hung, T. K. Patra, D. S. Simmons, Theoretical Insights from Facile Microsecond Simulation of the Glass Transition, American Physical Society March Meeting, Baltimore, MD, 2016. T. K. Patra, V. Meenakshisundaram, D. S. Simmons, Neural-network-biased genetic algorithms for materials design, American Physical Society March Meeting, Baltimore, MD, 2016. V. Meenakshisundaram, T. K. Patra, J. Hung, D. S. Simmons, Sequence-Specific Copolymer Compatibilizers Designed via a Genetic Algorithm, American Physical Society March Meeting, Baltimore, MD, 2016. D. S. Simmons, J. H. Mangalara, W. L. Merling, Understanding the relationship between different measures of nanoconfinement effects on segmental dynamics and the glass transition, American Physical Society March Meeting, Baltimore, MD, 2016. J. H. Mangalara, D. S. Simmons, Design rules for rational control of polymer glass formation behavior and mechanical properties with small molecule additives, American Physical Society March Meeting, Baltimore, MD, 2016. J. H. Mangalara, N. Weiner, M. Marvin, D. S. Simmons, Why do some diluents alter the magnitude of nanoconfinement effects on the glass transition? American Physical Society March Meeting, San Antonio, TX, 2015. W. L. Merling, J. Mileski, D. S. Simmons, Glass formation behavior of an isolated polymer chain, American Physical Society March Meeting, San Antonio, TX, 2015. J. H. Mangalara, D. S. Simmons, Enhancing polymer T g and tuning mechanical properties with 4

stiff molecular additives, American Physical Society March Meeting, Denver, CO, 2014. D. S. Simmons, R. J. Lang, W. L. Merling, Dependence of T g on interfacial energy and hardness of confinement in multi-nanolayered polymers, American Physical Society March Meeting, Denver, CO, 2014. D. S. Simmons, R. J. Lang, M. Mackura, Confinement effects on the glass transition of nanolayered polymers, American Physical Society March Meeting, Baltimore, MD, 2013. R. J. Lang, M. Mackura, and D. S. Simmons, Confinement Effects on the Glass Formation Behavior of Nanolayered Polymers, American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 2013. D. S. Simmons, M. T. Cicerone. J. F. Douglas, Localization model for relaxation in glass-forming materials, American Physical Society March Meeting, Boston, MA, 2012. M. T. Cicerone, Q. Zhong, F. Ding, J. Douglas, M. Tyagi, D. S. Simmons, The role of picosecond dynamics in relaxation of molecular glasses, American Physical Society March Meeting, Boston, MA, 2012. D. S. Simmons, M. T. Cicerone, J. F. Douglas, Localization Model of Relaxation in Glass- Forming Liquids, American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, 2012. D. S. Simmons, M. T. Cicerone, J. F. Douglas, Poster: Localization Model of Relaxation in Glass- Forming Liquids, Polymer Physics Gordon Research Conference, Mount Holyoke, MA, 2012. D. S. Simmons, M. T. Cicerone, J. F. Douglas, Relation Between Transient Localization and Long-Time Viscous Relaxation in Glasses? American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, 2011. D. S. Simmons, M. T. Cicerone, J. F. Douglas, Fast Dynamics of Protein Preservation in Sugar Glasses, Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD, 2011. D. S. Simmons, M. T. Cicerone, J. F. Douglas, Insights into Fast Dynamics Determining Protein Preservation in Sugar Glasses, NIST Sigma Xi Postdoctoral Poster Presentation, Gaithersburg, MD, 2011 (winner of Most Outstanding Poster in Materials Science). D. S. Simmons, M. T. Cicerone, J. F. Douglas, Molecular Motions and the Beta Relaxation, American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, 2010. D. S. Simmons, M. T. Cicerone, J. F. Douglas, Poster: Molecular Motions of the Beta Relaxation and Glassy Biomolecular Preservation, American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, 2010. D. S. Simmons, M. T. Cicerone, J. F. Douglas, Poster: Fast Dynamics in a Model Polymeric Glass Former: Implications for Protein Preservation in Sugar Glasses, 4 th International Symposium on Polymer Materials Science, Gaithersburg, MD, 2010. D. S. Simmons, M. T. Cicerone, J. F. Douglas, Poster: Understanding Protein Preservation in Sugar Glasses via Simulation Study of Fast Dynamics, Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, Austin, TX, 2010. D. S. Simmons, M. T. Cicerone, J. F. Douglas, Poster: Protein Activity Modulation and Preservation in Glass-Forming Liquids: Molecular Origins by Simulation Study, Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, Austin, TX, 2010. D. S. Simmons, I. C. Sanchez, LCST Behavior of Lightly Charged Aqueous Polyelectrolytes, American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting, Nashville, TN, 2009. D. S. Simmons, I. C. Sanchez, Poster: LCST-Driven Stimuli Responsive Polymers: Analytic 5

Models, American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting, Nashville, TN, 2009. D. S. Simmons, I. C. Sanchez, Pressure Effects on Polymer Coil-Globule Transitions near an LCST, American Physical Society March Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, 2009 (Frank J. Padden Jr. Award Symposium finalist presentation). D. S. Simmons, I. C. Sanchez, A model for the thermally induced polymer coil-to-globule transition, American Physical Society March Meeting, New Orleans, LA, 2008. D. S. Simmons, I. C. Sanchez, A model for a thermally induced polymer coil-globule transition, XXIII Southwest Theoretical Chemistry Conference, College Station, TX, 2007. D. S. Simmons, I. C. Sanchez, A Model for High Temperature Coil Globule Transitions in Compressible Solvent, American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, 2007. D. S. Simmons, A. Chauhan, The influence of lipid spreading and wettability gradients on tear film breakup, American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 2003. Professional Service Activities Institutional Service Activities Invited participant in National Science Foundation decadal Workshop on Frontiers in Polymer Science and Engineering, 2016. Member of DPOLY Organizing committee for American Physical Society March meeting, 2016-2019 meetings. Co-chair of APS 2015 March Meeting symposium on Polymers under Confinement. Treasurer, 30 th International Conference of the Polymer Processing Society (2014). Symposium Organizer and Chair, Computational Methods in Polymer Science Frontiers and Challenges, 2014 ACS Spring Meeting Session Chair, Thermodynamics of Polymers, 2013 AIChE Annual Meeting. Session Co-Chair, Polymers Beyond Equilibrium, 2013 AIChE Annual Meeting. Session Co-Chair, Thermodynamics of Polymers, 2012 AIChE Annual Meeting. Session Co-Chair, Polymer Thin Films and Interfaces I, 2012 AIChE Annual Meeting. Member of American Physical Society Member of American Chemical Society (Member number 30715003) Department of Polymer Engineering Faculty Search Committee, 2015-2016 College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering Dean s Research Council, 2015-current College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering Dean Search Committee (search successfully completed), 2013-2014. Department of Polymer Engineering Admissions Committee, 2013-2014. Department of Polymer Engineering Ad Hoc Publicity Committee, 2013-2014. Department of Polymer Engineering Faculty Search Committees for two positions (searches successfully completed), 2012. 6

Courses Taught Educational outreach activities Graduate Students Advised Amorphous Solidification of Polymers (new graduate course developed) Fall 2014 & Spring 2016 Polymer Fluid Mechanics (undergraduate course) Spring 2014 & Fall 2015 Phase Transitions in Polymer Blends and Alloys (graduate course) Fall 2013 Structure and Dynamics of Soft Materials (new graduate course developed) Spring 2013 & 2015 Graduate Seminar Course Spring and Fall 2012 Chair of Department of Polymer Engineering Committee on creation of undergraduate general education courses Created paid summer to fall research internship program in PI s lab for high school students from Akron Public Schools Department of Polymer Engineering Coordinator for BS/MS 3+2 programs, offering research-based masters degrees to undergraduate students Mentored undergraduate summer interns (3) through University of Akron College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program Jayachandra Hari Mangalara, Ph.D., ongoing. Weston Merling, Ph.D., ongoing. Jui-Hsiang Hung, Ph.D., ongoing. Venkatesh Meenakshisundaram, Ph.D., ongoing. Scott Smith, Ph.D., ongoing. Daniel Diaz Vela, Ph.D., ongoing. Junhong Yang, 3/2 BS/MS, ongoing. Shengyi Xu, 3/2 BS/MS, ongoing. Yizi Cheng, 3/2 BS/MS, ongoing. Thomas Hoy, MS, Fall 2016. Morgan Popa, MS, Fall 2016. Dihui Ruan, MS, Spring 2015 (now in Ph.D. program in Materials Science at The Johns Hopkins University). Mark Mackura, MS, Spring 2013 (now at Avery Dennison). Ryan Lang, MS, Summer 2013 (now at Bridgestone). Research Interns Advised Esther Grossman, Undergraduate REU intern, summer 2016. Jonathan Lee, Undergraduate REU intern, summer 2015 Melissa Cardew, High School Intern, summer fall 2015 7

Samuel Kosco, High School Intern, summer fall 2015 Nicholas Weiner, Undergraduate REU intern, summer 2014 Jack Mileski, High School Intern, fall 2013 spring 2014 (now a BS student in Engineering at Ohio State University) Michael Marvin, Undergraduate REU intern, summer fall, 2013 (now a Ph.D. student in Materials Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne). External Funding Total external funding raised as lead or sole PI: $1,820,783 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award: $15,000 (Sole PI), 2016. National Science Foundation CAREER Award DMR1554920: $475,000 (Sole PI), CAREER: Glass Formation in Strongly Interacting Polymers Predictive Understanding from High- Throughput Simulation and Theory, 2016-2021. Center for Tire Research, an NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center: $67,323 (Sole PI), Modeling strain-energy distributions and failure properties for idealized particle dispersions and interfaces in filled elastomers, 2015-2016 (first allocation of 3-year grant) W. M. Keck Foundation Research Grant: $1,000,000 (Lead PI); Genetic Algorithm for Exploration and Design of Glass-Forming Materials, 2013-2017 National Science Foundation DMR13104: $263,460 (Sole PI); Computationally-Driven Rational Control of Glass Formation in Block Copolymers, 2013-2016. 8