Rate My Professor Vivian Merk

Vivian Merk is an Assistant Professor with joint appointments in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and the Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University. She joined the university in Fall 2019. Merk holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany and a doctorate in civil engineering from ETH Zurich in Switzerland.

Her research focuses on biomineralization, bio-inspired hybrid composites, hierarchical biomaterials, crystallization in confinement, organic-inorganic interfaces, and selective ion accumulation in biological organisms. She employs experimental techniques including electro-optical methods, Raman microscopy, and synchrotron-based X-ray imaging. Merk was awarded the FY 2021 Department of Defense Research and Education Program award. She has also received recognition including an NSF LEAPS-MPS award and a Young Scientist Award for her master’s thesis. Her work explores applications in biomedical engineering, construction, and environmental engineering, such as materials to mitigate hospital-acquired infections and address harmful algae blooms.