Bio
Dr. Karen P. Cortes Guzman is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Physical Sciences Division. Her research at ORNL is dedicated to advancing the development of innovative materials for building envelope applications, including adhesives, sealants, insulation foams, and flame retardants. Her research is characterized by a strong emphasis on enhancing material performance while optimizing cost-effectiveness and operational efficiency.
Dr. Cortés-Guzmán obtained her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Texas at Dallas. Her dissertation "Sustainability Centered Photoresin Design for 3D Printing Using Dynamic Covalent Chemistry" focused on leveraging dynamic covalent chemistry principles to impart thermoset materials with smart properties and programmed circularity. She is experienced in thermomechanical characterization, additive manufacturing, and organic synthesis to drive forward-thinking research that meets contemporary industry needs.
Karen received her B.S. in Industrial Chemistry from Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos, Mexico, in 2017. She was a Research Assistant at the Chemical Research Center working in Kinetics, Thermodynamics, and Theoretical Studies in a Diels-Alder Dimerization Process of molecules with pharmaceutical interest. She was
Professional Experience
- 2023–Present: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Oak Ridge, TN
- 2019-2023: The University of Texas at Dallas, Research Assistant, Dallas, TX
- 2016-2018: Autonomous University of Morelos, Research Assistant, Morelos, Mexico
- 2014-2019: Instrumor Laboratory supplies and reagents, Sales Representative
Awards
- 2022 54th ACS Meeting in Miniature Best Presentation 1st place Award
- 2022 NSM Mei Lein Fellowship
- 2019 - 2023, CONACyT/CONTEX Doctoral Fellowship
- 2018 Education USA Opportunity Fund Award
- 2018
- 2016 - 2018 BANAMEX Students of Excellence Award
Education
- Ph.D. in Chemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA - 2023
- BS in Industrial Chemistry, Autonomous University of Morelos, Mexico - 2018
Trademarks and Patents
- Hun D.E., Saito T., Demchuk Z., Shrestha S.S., Cortes-Guzman, K. P. Plant sourced insulation foam. Patent number US20240360288A1. Application number US18/646