IUPUC scientist returns after Slovakia semester

IUPUC Associate Professor and Division of Science Head James Mendez has returned from a semester as a Fulbright scholar in Slovakia.

According to the school, Mendez was chosen last year by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board for the elite Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in chemistry.

Fulbright Scholars engage in cutting-edge research and often continue research collaborations abroad, laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions.

Mendez traveled to Bratislava, Slovakia to work with a scientist at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, on a system for 3D printing composites made from chitin. Chitin is a naturally occurring polymer made from crustacean shells, insect exoskeletons, and even certain mushrooms. The 3D printing applications could be used to make medical devices.

During his time abroad, Mendez also met with scientists from Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Estonia to discuss biopolymer 3D printing.

Photo courtesy of IUPUC