Dr. George Mwangi is a chemist with interests in Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for chemical sensing and separations.
In 1985, Dr. Mwangi graduated with a First Class Honors Degree in Chemistry, followed by a master's from the University of Nairobi and a PhD from the University of New Hampshire with a focus on Analytical Chemistry. He began his teaching career in 1992 at Egerton University in Kenya, spending over six years educating students. His post-doctoral work at Oklahoma State University further refined his expertise in polymer synthesis for use in molecularly imprinted indicator systems.
By 2005, Dr. Mwangi had taken up a position as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Sioux Falls, where he was promoted to Associate Professor in 2012. He has been an active member of various committees and has advised students across all academic levels. Moreover, he was appointed as the BRIN Project Liaison for the Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network of Dakota (BRIN) and led the University's BRIN research efforts at USF from 2016 to 2023.
Dr. Mwangi's educational contributions include teaching both introductory chemistry and more specialized courses in quantitative and instrumental analysis. His research interests lie at the nexus of polymer science and analytical chemistry, specifically in developing robust molecularly imprinted chemical sensors. His work involves creating polymers that can selectively bind to specific molecules like catecholamines, as well as those that can interact with metal ions or be used for separation processes in chromatography. To explore the properties and applications of these polymers, Dr. Mwangi utilizes various analytical methods, such as UV-Vis, fluorescence, atomic absorption, and IR spectroscopy, alongside microscopic techniques to examine the polymers' surface structures.