Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2017
  • M.S., Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2015
  • B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, 2013
Licenses & Certifications
  • Professional Engineer Chemical, California, #7119
  • NACE - Certified Coating Inspector Level 1 Certification
  • NACE - Certified Coating Inspector Level 2 Certification
Professional Honors
  • QUEST Honors Program, Cohort 18, University of Maryland, College Park
  • Top Entrepreneurial Lead, NSF-ICorps, New York
  • Guest Speaker, American Society of Metallurgy, Young Members Night, February 2018
Professional Affiliations
  • American Institute of Chemical Engineers – 2010 – Present
  • American Society of Metals – 2017 - Present
Languages
  • French (France)
  • Hindi

Dr. Gupta is a materials scientist with extensive knowledge and experience related to structure-property relationship of polymers used in industrial applications such as paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants. She leverages broad knowledge of chemical and physical behavior of polymers to support product development efforts from conceptualization through commercialization.

Dr. Gupta's current interests are automotive and architectural coatings, construction materials and composite structures.

Dr. Gupta specializes in rheological and mechanical characterization of paints, coatings and composite materials, and has applied this expertise to help clients resolve technical challenges and to design, engineer and formulate new products in the adhesives, automotive, industrial, architectural, personal care and construction industries. Dr. Gupta has also synthesized a number of polymeric materials used in industrial applications and is familiar with free radical and controlled (RAFT and ATRP) polymerization techniques.

Dr. Gupta has extensive experience with multiple characterization techniques used to probe the interactions between phases in complex suspensions, including surface techniques such as ellipsometry and microtensiometry. She has investigated properties of uncured suspensions and materials using static/dynamic light scattering and oscillatory rheology, and properties of cured materials using DMA, DSC, and TGA. Dr. Gupta is also proficient in the use of AFM, CT and XRD for the characterization of both ceramic and polymeric material, and in the use of microscopy techniques such as SEM and TEM for polymeric suspensions.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Gupta worked as a research chemist at PPG Industries in the automotive adhesives, sealants and Noise/Vibration/Harshness (NVH) group in Pittsburgh, PA. During her time there, she helped formulate and characterize new coatings for several automotive customers. Before working at PPG, Dr. Gupta's Ph.D. research focused on the grafting of polymers onto lignin, which improved the interfacial activity of lignin molecules, so they could be used as effective dispersants in high-solids suspensions and emulsions.