New USM polymers director

Associate Professor Jeffrey Wiggins has been named the new director of the University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Polymers and High Performance Materials. Wiggins had been serving as interim director for a year. Wiggins’ research efforts have produced impressive results such as creating a partnership with GE Aviation, which opened a new production plant in Ellisville in 2013, and establishing next generation aerospace materials development infrastructures at USM. Wiggins is leading teams of researchers currently working in polymer science labs to create durable and light-weight composite materials that translates to fuel savings, lower energy costs and reduced maintenance for sophisticated jet engines. Source: Hattiesburg American, 03/04/14.