My group performs experimental research in soft condensed matter physics.The overall goal is to discover the fundamental principles by which interacting objects organize themselves into hierarchies of structure and by which collective properties emerge in these organizations.Once found, these principles will be instrumental not only for understanding natural and industrially relevant processes, but also for creating new self-organizing systems with useful and interesting properties.With these goals in mind, my research focuses on the interactions and dynamics of micrometer scale colloidal particles dispersed in fluids. We study their behavior with holographic video microscopy and exert controlled forces on them through holographic optical trapping. These are both broadly useful technologies that my group has pioneered. This research program led to the founding of Arryx, Inc., a Chicago-based firm that commercializes the research and industrial applications of holographic micromanipulation.Specialties: Experimental physics research, optics, colloid science, polymers, statistical physics