Dr. Courtney (Cori) Jenkins

Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry

Dr. Jenkins is a polymer chemist. Her research program is focused on developing functional polymers from elemental sulfur, a petroleum waste product. She uses green chemistry principles in her polymer design, including substituting elemental sulfur for garlic oil, to create sulfur-based polymers from fully renewable components. Much of her efforts have centered around converting sulfur, which much like oil, does not interact with water, into water-soluble polymers and hydrogels that absorb water. These materials have been used for selectively extracting gold from complex solutions, adsorbing toxic metals for water purification, and as sustainable adhesives. Simple, rapid synthesis and inexpensive reagents make these materials practical and cost-effective for large scale applications. By collaborating with other faculty, Dr. Jenkins is able to study the interactions between microbes and sulfur-based polymers and study polymer deconstruction by gamma irradiation. Her research team is composed primarily of undergraduates. She has mentored 40 students during her time as a faculty.

Dr. Jenkins obtained her BS in Biochemistry from Saint Louis University, her PhD in Chemistry at Purdue University and completed her postdoctoral studies at California Institute of Technology in Chemical Biology. Dr. Jenkins was an Assistant Professor at Ball State University before joining the ISU faculty in 2019.