Professor Ray Fernando has been the Arthur C. Edwards Endowed Chair and Director of Polymers and Coatings Program within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at California Polytechnic State University since 2002.
He received his Ph.D. in 1986 from North Dakota State University in Polymers and Coatings, emphasizing studies in the coating rheology field. In 1979 he received a B. Sc. (Special) degree in Chemistry from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura , Sri Lanka . He has fifteen years of industrial experience in coatings, with extensive knowledge in waterborne technology. He was a Lead Research Scientist in R&D at Air Products and Chemicals, involved with the rheology of a wide range of coatings and adhesives, coatings for electronics, and nanocomposites, and was a Program Manager for Armstrong World Industries, running the coating research program that supports global manufacturing and marketing needs of Armstrong Building Products Division. His current research at Cal Poly includes understanding nanoparticle reinforcements of coatings and impact of coating ingredients on rheology.
Dr. Fernando has many publications and patents, and has given numerous lectures and presentations related to coatings science and technology. A book he has edited on the topic of Nanotechnology Applications in Coatings will be published shortly. He served as the Chair of Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology (FSCT)'s Technical Events Coordinating Committee (TECC) and the received FSCT's President's Award in 2005.
