ROBERT M. STRONGIN, PH.D., is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Portland State University. Dr. Strongin joined PSU in 2007 and has since led an internationally recognized research group focused on biosensors and vaping chemistry. He earned his BA in Chemistry with Honors from Temple University and his doctorate in Organic Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Strongin began his independent academic career as an Assistant Professor at Louisiana State University (LSU) in 1995, where he progressed to become the Philip and Foymae West Distinguished Professor of Chemistry in 2005. At LSU, he founded the Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) Program in 2004, demonstrating his commitment to promoting diversity in the sciences.
Since joining PSU, Dr. Strongin has served in several key roles, including Faculty Advisory Board Chair and Program Director for the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) from 2012-2015. His entrepreneurial spirit led to the founding of two PSU biotech startup companies. His contributions to research and education have been recognized with numerous awards, including the John Eliot Allen Teaching Award and the PSU Senior Faculty Research Award.
In 2022, Dr. Strongin became the first PSU faculty member elected as a Fellow to the National Academy of Inventors. He has authored three books, holds eighteen issued patents, and has published 180 peer-reviewed manuscripts that have been cited 13,000 times, underscoring his significant impact on the field of chemistry.