Janna Maranas

Short Bio:

Professor Janna K Maranas began an academic career at the Pennsylvania State University following a BS in Chemical Engineering from the California State Polytechnic University at Pomona, an MS and PhD in Chemical Engineering at Princeton University. Having used statistical mechanical theory and the rapidly expanding computational technique of molecular dynamics during her PhD, Professor Maranas launched her faculty position by learning neutron scattering, and other traditional experiments with the support of the NSF Career award. Armed with both traditional and computational experiments, her research focus is broad, including proteins for virus replication, binding of peptides to gold surfaces, plant cell walls, electrochemical interfaces, fuel cells, solar cells, organic semiconductors, and Li and Na batteries. More recently, professor Maranas has sharpened her focus on battery work, leading to her first patent application, and two more under consideration with the Penn State technology office. In the last year Professor Maranas founded a start-up company, Unoia Beauty, which arose from an outreach program for women in chemical engineering. The cosmetics research group, founded in 2014 in the Chemical Engineering department at Penn State, has given over 30 chemical engineers the ability and experience to design cosmetics and personal care products. Our business model is to make products after, or shortly before sale. This “on demand” model allows us to use unique textures that don’t have long shelf lives. We are currently selling our products at public and invitation only events, at local fairs, and at artisan markets. Our short range goal is a retail store in State College, and our long-term plan is to place cosmetics research groups in other universities, leading to new products and stores in those communities. Unoia pledges 10% of our profits to promote women in science. Professor Maranas is skilled in a wide range of computational and traditional experiments. She has a wide range of research focus, including proteins for virus replication, plant cell walls, electrochemical interfaces, solar cells, and Li and Na batteries. In the last year she founded a start-up company, Unoia Beauty, which arose from an outreach program for women in chemical engineering. Having used statistical mechanical theory and the rapidly expanding computational technique of molecular dynamics during her PhD, Professor Maranas launched her faculty position by learning neutron scattering, and other traditional experiments with the support of the NSF Career award. Armed with both traditional and computational experiments, she