Julian Silverman, PhD
Business and Liberal Arts Center, Room B844
Education
BS, McGill University
MPhil, PhD, The Graduate Center
Biography
Dr. Julian Silverman received his bachelor’s degree in Atmospheric and Environmental Chemistry from McGill University in Montréal and an MPhil and Ph D at the CUNY Graduate Center, conducting his research on conjugating lipids and carbohydrates to create soft materials at the City College of New York. His post-doctoral work at the University of Kansas Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis focused on valorizing agricultural waste with support from industry sponsors. He previously taught in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Manhattan College in the Bronx, and served as the Director for their Center for Urban Resilience and Environmental Sustainability.
His research at FIT focuses on supporting quality undergraduate research projects, identifying and transforming local waste biomass into functional soft materials, and conducting life-cycle assessments to further link chemistry, environmental science, and practical action to address sustainability in the lab, at home, and in the community. Beyond experimental work, he partners with experts across the chemical education community to develop open-access curricular materials and assessments for students and educators to contextualize chemistry and environmental science.
Research Interests
soft materials, soap, inks, dyes, pigments, sustainability
Selected Publications
Silverman, Julian R. Exploring Waste Management with Art Media in the Laboratory: Pigments, Inks, and Paints from Dye Waste. Journal of Chemical Education 101.9 (2024): 3904-3911.
Silverman, J., Tie-Dyeing with Tannins and Iron, Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community, Beyond Benign, Virtual Resource, 2023.
Gambardella, A.; Machado, C.; Yunga, M.; Diaz, J.; Serrano, M.; Silverman, J. R. Formulation of Biobased Soap Gels from Waste-Derived Feedstocks. RSC Sustain. 2023. 1, 584 - 591.
D’eon, J.; Silverman, J. R. Using Systems Thinking to Connect Green Principles and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in a Reaction Stoichiometry Module. Green Chem. Lett. Rev. 2023, 16 (1), 2185109.
Conferences and Presentations
Silverman, J., Silage to Sillage: Designing Materials From Waste, February 23rd, University of Kansas LGBTQ+ STEM Symposium, Keynote Speaker, Virtual
Silverman, J., “The Material History of Soap” First Fridays, February 2nd, 2024, Science History Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Public Lecture
Silverman, J., Green Chemistry Connections, Virtual, Beyond Benign, October 19th, 2022 “Toxicology is Always in Fashion: Weaving Together Fiber Science and Chemical Safety.”
Courses
- SC 102 Climate Change
- SC 109 Pick Your Poison: Introduction to Materials Toxicology
- SC 149 Chemistry for Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing
- SC 391 Crime Scene Chemistry