Seminars

Abstract: Prof. Voit will explore the frontiers of thin film flexible electronics, additive manufacturing, and neural interfaces, while also delving into innovative methods of education through video games such as Minecraft. As pioneers in these diverse yet interconnected fields, our work pushes the boundaries of how we interact with and create technology, with profound implications for both the medical field and education.

In the educational sphere, we have pioneered the use of video games like Minecraft as tools for teaching complex scientific and engineering concepts. By engaging students in an interactive and familiar environment, these games facilitate deeper understanding and retention of material. We will share insights on how this approach can inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists, making learning more accessible and enjoyable and helping with workforce development in technical areas like semiconductor processing.

In thin film flexible electronics, we describe applications in neural interfaces and resulting commercial spinout companies. We will discuss the development of flexible bioelectronic devices that conform to biological tissues, enabling more effective and less invasive interfaces with the human nervous system. These innovations have the potential to revolutionize medical diagnostics, prosthetics, and neural therapies, providing a new level of interaction between technology and biology. We will also discuss the path to commercialization in several device areas.

Finally, we will cover the role of additive manufacturing in this landscape, particularly how 3D printing technologies are enabling the creation of meso and micro-architected materials with superior thermomechanical properties. We will describe the phenomenon of photo-polymerization induced phase separation and how it drives network and chain alignment in performance materials including foams and elastomers.

Bio: Walter Everett Voit is an associate professor and entrepreneur from The University of Texas at Dallas where he explores the thermomechanics of shape memory polymers, flexible bioelectronics, next generation neural interfaces, 3-D printing, degradable polymers, photo polymerization-induced phase separation, thiol-click chemistries and the effects of ionizing radiation on polymers. Voit received a B.S. in Computer Science in 2005 and a Masters in Artificial Intelligence from UT Dallas in 2006. Voit performed doctoral work under the guidance of Ken Gall. Dr. Voit was named a Presidential Scholar at Georgia Tech. Voit has authored more than 150 manuscripts and book chapters, is inventor on multiple patents. Voit is a DARPA Young Faculty Awardee and DARPA Director’s Fellow and works closely with industry. Prof. Voit is a cofounder of Adaptive3D, which licensed intellectual property from both Georgia Tech and UT Dallas in pursuit of next-generation acoustics and additive manufacturing based on specialty polymers and thiol chemistries. Voit advised the co-founders of Ares Materials in 2014 and co- founded Pascalor, Qualia, Inc. and Polycraft World in 2015, Skin Aware and BackStop Neural in 2016 and Qualia Labs, Qualia Oto, Capavax and Adaptive Holdings in 2017. In 2020 Prof. Voit co-founded Regulife Medical and Inspire Bioelectronics. Voit-led Adaptive3D closed its Series B Venture Funding round and its capitalization table included strategic partners representing Applied Materials, DSM/Covestro, Arkema, West Pharma, Chemence and the founding family of Texas Instruments, the McDermott family upon the time of its acquisition by public company Desktop Metal (NYSE: DM) in May 2021. Voit nucleated Pedegree Studios in 2024 to deliver immersive rigorous educational content through modern video game mechanics. Dr. Voit is on the Executive Committee and the Science and Technology Chair of the Council on Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards through the National Institute of Standards and Technology and an International Atomic Energy Agency consultant in the field of radiation crosslinked shape memory polymers.