Annette Moff Jacobson
Teaching Professor of Chemical Engineering Director, Colloids, Polymers, and Surfaces Program

Office: Doherty Hall 3102B
Phone: (412) 268-2244
Fax: (412) 268-7139
Email: jacobson@andrew.cmu.edu
Secretary: Laura Shaheen
    Phone: (412) 268-9851
    E-mail: lr23@andrew.cmu.edu

Biography
Research Interests
Highlights
Awards and Honors
Publications
Colloids, Polymers, and Surfaces Program

Biography

Professor Annette Jacobson received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 1979 and worked for PPG from then until 1985, attaining the rank of Senior Research Engineer. She returned to CMU and and received her PhD under the supervision of Prof. Ethel Cassassa in 1988. She became the Director of the Colloids, Polymers and Surfaces Program, a joint program between the Mellon College of Science and the College of Engineering. Appointed as Lecturer in 1988, she now holds the rank of Teaching Professor in of Chemical Engineering.

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Research Interests

Surfactant micellization, solubilization and adsorption phenomena; polymer and colloid characterization

Solubilization Phenomena
Solubilization is the incorporation of compounds into the aqueous phase in excess of their water solubility, accomplished through the formation of aqueous micelles of surfactant. Research in this area includes solubilization studies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aqueous micelles, and how their structure and properties enhance or inhibit the efficiency of the process.

Colloid Characterization
Determination of electrophoretic mobility of colloidal contaminants in water is useful in water treatment processing. Recent research shows that electrophoretic property measurement is important in determining the quality of the treatment process, indicating whether additional treatment is required.

Optimal solution conditions for the adsorption of model vaccines (proteins) on alumina surfaces are indicated once the electrophoretic mobility of both the protein and adsorbent surface are obtained experimentally. These conditions should occur when the oppositely charged protein and adsorbent surfaces have the highest possible zeta potential values. Adsorption studies with these systems are in progress to determine the optimal adsorption conditions.

Colloids, Polymers and Surfaces (CPS) Program
Professor Jacobson is Director of the CPS Program, an interdisciplinary educational program providing coursework and an MS degree in the study of nanoparticles, macromolecules, interfaces and the complex fluids formed by these materials. The program includes the PPG Industries CPS Laboratory, a facility used for teaching and research for graduate and undergraduate students. The laboratory is equipped for the study and characterization of complex fluids.

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Highlights

• 18 students are working toward the MS in CPS. In 2009, eight students were enrolled in the part-time MS in CPS program. Four full-time students are enrolled in the MS CPS Program. In addition six full-time PhD students (from CIT and MCS) are working toward the MS in CPS in conjunction with the PhD. A total of 40 graduate and undergraduate students from CIT and MCS departments were formally trained to use CPS Lab characterization equipment for their research projects this year.

• The CPS Program sponsored and/or participated in many outreach events for K-12 students, teachers and parents in the tri-state area during 2009. They included National Chemistry Week and National Engineers’ Week at the Carnegie Science Center, SWE High School Day, ICES’ Moving fourth grade into Engineering and ICES Summer Engineering Experience (SEE) for middle school girls. These events provided volunteer opportunities for our faculty, staff and students to promote interest in science and engineering careers to the local community.

• CPS Program staff Annette Jacobson, Susana Steppan and Rosemary Frollini in conjunction with Judy Hallinen of the Leonard Gelfand Center for Outreach at Carnegie Mellon, completed an applications module that provides experimental activities about polymeric materials and their importance in engineering and product development. The instructional module is available for use by science educators in an online format to supplement their science and math curricula with hands-on activities that demonstrate the important relationship between chemistry, materials and product engineering.

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Awards and Honors

• Academic Advising Award, Carnegie Mellon University, 2003

• Marquis' Who's Who of American Women, 19th edition, 1995-2001

• Geoffrey D. Parfitt Memorial Award for Excellence in Oral Presentation, CHEGSA Symposium, Carnegie Mellon University, 1987

• CHEGSA Symposium Competition, Second Place, 1987

• Sigma Xi Research Society, Carnegie Mellon University, 1987

• Amoco Foundation Fellowship, 1986-1988

• Tau Beta Pi, Carnegie Mellon University, 1978

• CMU Women's Clan Scholarship, 1978-1979

• Babcock & Wilcox Scholarship, 1977-1979

• M.L. Brown Graham Scholarship, 1976-1977

• B.P.O. Elks Scholarship, 1975-1976

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Publications

       Recent Publications

       Selected Publications

       Full Publications

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Recent Publications

Casassa, Ethel, Annette Jacobson, Rosemary Frollini, Susana Steppan, “Industrial Academic Partnership: Interdisciplinary Educational Program in Nanoparticles, Macromolecules, and Interfaces”, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 2009, Vol. 8, No. 5, p. 2301-2304.

Morfesis, Ana, Annette Jacobson, Rosemary Frollini, Matthew Helgeson, Judy Billica, Kevin Gertig, "The Role of Zeta Potential in the Optimization of Water Treatment Facility Operations", Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 2009, Vol. 48, No. 5 p. 2305-2308.

Dry Spinning Based Spinneret Based Tunable Engineered Parameters(STEP) Technique for Controlled and Aligned Deposition of Polymeric Nanofibers, Authors: Amrinder Nain, Metin Sitti, Annette Jacobson, Tomasz Kowalewski, Cristina Amon, Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 2009, 30, 1406-1412.

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Selected Publications

E.Subrahmanian, A. Westerberg, S. Talkudar, J. Garrett, A. Jacobson, C. Paredis, C. Amon "Integrating Social Aspects and Group Work Aspects in Engineering Design Education", Int. J. Engng. Ed. Vol. 19, No. 1,pp.75-80, 2003.

R. Frollini, A. Jacobson, "Chemical Engineering and Cosmetics: Making the Connection between Chemistry and Engineering Processes in Product Manufacuting", Proceedings from the Women in Engineering Programs & Advocates Network(WEPAN), Pittsburgh Conference, June 2006.

Liu, Z., Jacobson, A.M., and Luthy, R.G. "Biodegradation of Naphthalene in Aqueous Nonionic Surfactant Systems," Applied and Environmental Microbiology, vol. 61, no. 1, 145-151, 1995.

Auger, R., Jacobson, A.M., and Domach, M.M. "Overflow Metabolism and Inhibition of Naphthalene Biodegradation," Journal of Hazardous Materials, vol. 43, 263-272, 1995.

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Full Publications

1. U.S. Patent No. 4,312,844, "Trimetaphosphate Compounds of Trivalent Metals," James E. Neely, Annette M. Jacobson, C.C. Lin, Charlene A. Falleroni, January 1982.

2. U.S. Patent No. 4,329,327, "Method for Making B-Form Aluminum Trimetaphosphate from Powder Reactants," James E. Neely, Annette M. Jacobson, C.C. Lin, Charlene A. Falleroni, May 1982.

3. U.S. Patent No. 4,333,914, "Method for Making Aluminum Trimetaphosphate from Powder Reactants," James E. Neely, Annette M. Jacobson, C.C. Lin, Charlene A. Falleroni, June 1982.

4. Jacobson, A.M. and E.Z. Casassa, "Multicomponent Solubilization in Aqueous Micelles of Dodecyl-(DTAB) and Tetradecyl-(TTAB) Trimethylammonium Bromide: I. Solubilization Equilibria," Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 142(2), 480, March 15, 1991.

5. Liu, Z., A.M. Jacobson, and R.G. Luthy, “Biodegradation of Naphthalene in Aqueous Nonionic Surfactant Systems,” Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 61(1), 145, January, 1995.

6. Auger, R., A.M. Jacobson, and M.M. Domach, "Effect of nonionic surfactant addition on bacterial metabolism of naphthalene: Assessment of toxicity and overflow metabolism potential," Journal of Hazardous Materials, 43, 263,1995.

7. Auger, R., A.M. Jacobson, and M.M. Domach, "Aqueous Phase Fluorescence Quenching Technique for Measuring Naphthalene Partitioning Coefficients in Nonionic Surfactant Micelles," Environmental Science and Technology, 29(5),1273,1995..

8. E. Subrahmanian, A. Westerberg, S.Talkudar, J. Garrett, A.Jacobson,C.Paredis,C. Amon “Integrating Social Aspects and Group Work Aspects in Engineering Design Education”, Int. J. Engng. Ed. Vol. 19, No. 1, pp.75-80, 2003.

9. Frollini, R., A.Jacobson, "Chemical Engineering and Cosmetics: Making the Connection between Chemistry and Engineering Processes in Product Manufacturing", Proceedings from the Women in Engineering Programs & Advocates Network (WEPAN), Pittsburgh Conference, June 2006

10. Casassa, Ethel, Annette Jacobson, Rosemary Frollini, Susana Steppan, “Industrial Academic Partnership: Interdisciplinary Educational Program in Nanoparticles, Macromolecules, and Interfaces”, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, in press 2008.

11. Morfesis, Ana, Annette Jacobson, Rosemary Frollini, Matthew Helgeson, Judy Billica, Kevin Gertig, "The Role of Zeta Potential in the Optimization of Water Treatment Facility Operations", Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, in press 2008.

12. Casassa, Ethel, Annette Jacobson, Rosemary Frollini, Susana Steppan, “Industrial Academic Partnership: Interdisciplinary Educational Program in Nanoparticles, Macromolecules, and Interfaces”, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 2009, Vol. 8, No. 5, p. 2301-2304.

13. Morfesis, Ana, Annette Jacobson, Rosemary Frollini, Matthew Helgeson, Judy Billica, Kevin Gertig, "The Role of Zeta Potential in the Optimization of Water Treatment Facility Operations", Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 2009, Vol. 48, No. 5 p. 2305-2308.

14. Dry Spinning Based Spinneret Based Tunable Engineered Parameters(STEP) Technique for Controlled and Aligned Deposition of Polymeric Nanofibers, Authors: Amrinder Nain, Metin Sitti, Annette Jacobson, Tomasz Kowalewski, Cristina Amon, Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 2009, 30, 1406-1412.

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