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Education
Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota
B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota
B.S. Materials Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota
B.S. Chemistry, University of Minnesota
Honors and Awards
2016 SCSE Teaching AwardÂ
Interest Areas
Biomedical Engineering
BiomaterialsÂ
Brief Bio
Born and raised in Singapore, Professor Lai first came to the United States at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities in 2002 to pursue his undergraduate education, and now fondly considers this great state of 10,000 Lakes to be his home. Prior to graduate school, he worked at the Singapore Economic Development Board promoting entrepreneurship and innovation in Singapore, followed by a Project Engineer position with GlaxoSmithKline Singapore overseeing capital expenditure projects at a primary production plant.
His research interests are in the biomedical engineering fields of biomaterials and biomechanics, using a combination of computational modeling and experimental techniques to elucidate structure-function-composition relationships in soft tissues. In his free time, Professor Lai enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, enjoying the beautiful Minnesota outdoors (running, hiking, camping), or simply catching up on sleep and recharging on the weekends.
Courses Currently Teaching
ChE 2211 Material and Energy Balances
ChE 3231 Properties of Engineering Materials
ChE 3211 Chemical Engineering Lab I
ChE 4211 Chemical Engineering Lab II
ChE 4711/5711 Biomedical Engineering