On Wednesday, December 3, 2025, Current hosted the fourth seminar in the Third Coast Water Seminar Series, featuring a discussion on valuable resource sustainability with Dr. Jacob Jones, Distinguished Professor and Director of the STEPS Center at North Carolina State University.
About Dr. Jones
Dr. Jacob Jones is the Kobe Steel Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at NC State University, Director and Principal Investigator of the Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center (www.steps-center.org, an NSF STC), and Director and Principal Investigator of the Research Triangle Nanotechnology Network (www.rtnn.org, an NSF NNCI site). His research interests involve developing a fundamental understanding of inorganic materials during both their synthesis and use, e.g., through the use of in situ X-ray scattering experiments and other advanced materials characterization tools.
Applications of these capabilities are broad and range from functional ceramics and films, e.g., for ferroelectric or dielectric applications, to nanomaterials and ceramics as sorbents for phosphorus recovery. As Director of the STEPS Center, Jones is also a pioneer and leader in convergence research, integrating dozens of unique disciplinary contributions to tackle society’s wicked and challenging problems.
