Hi 👋, I’m James Wade.
I am a research scientist in working in the chemicals manufacturing industry as part of a research and development team. I apply materials characterization and data science with a special interest in sustainable materials design to develop new capabilities for research. My current focus is on augmenting materials characterization innovations with statistical analysis, machine learning, and data visualization. I started my career on a rotational program beginning in macromolecular characterization with an emphasis on polymer separations. Other rotations included a data science group aligned to manufacturing and a supply chain innovation center.
I was raised in South Carolina and started my chemistry training at Furman University, a small liberal arts school in the upstate of South Carolina. At Furman, I found a passion for Analytical Chemistry where I worked on the abiotic origins of life, transition metal alkyl synthesis, and drug-DNA interactions for anticancer therapeutics. I used tools like chromatography, mass spectrometry, optical spectroscopy, and gel electrophoresis to answer important questions for research projects.
I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for my graduate work in Analytical Chemistry. I worked under Prof. Ryan Bailey and worked on projects including cancer diagnostics, silicon photonic sensors, microfluidics/miniaturization, and chromatographic separations.
I live in mid-Michigan with my wife and young son. My wife is a veterinarian and brings home too many furry friends. The current menagerie is two dogs and five cats.