Associate Professor of Chemical Physics (1999 - present)
Director of Clean Room Training Programs (2001 - present)

Room 307 LCM
Tel: (330) 672-9319; fax: (330) 672-2796
E-mail: mfisch@lci.kent.edu

After nearly 15 years in undergraduate education Fisch joined the LCI in 1999. He has more than 40 publications in soft condensed matter science and three patents in liquid crystal displays. He has extensive experience in liquid crystals, lyotropic systems and optics.

PhD in applied physics from Harvard University, 1981

Present work is on the kinetics of formation of liquid crystal polymer dispersed displays, cholesteric-polymer displays and filled liquid crystal systems.

The LCI, in conjunction with the College of Continuing Studies at KSU, offers training programs on basic clean room techniques, passive LCD manufacturing and specialized manufacturing in cleanrooms for the liquid crystal display, photolighography and semiconductor industries and industries that produce products in a controlled environment.

Visit the College of Continuing Studies web site and click the link for clean room training for more detailed information on the training program.

1."Acoustic Techniques for Studying the Viscosity of Fluids in the Critical Region," E.F. Carome and M.R. Fisch, Eighth International Congress on Acoustics, 376 (l974).

2. "Improved Acoustic Viscosimeter Technique," M.R. Fisch, R.P. Moeller and E.F. Carome, J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 60, 623 (l976).

3. "Acoustic Backscattering from Thin air-Filled Spherical Shells in Water," J.L. Hunter, M.R. Layton and M.R. Fisch, J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 62, 1139 (1977).

4. "Observation of Second Sound Using Light Scattering from a Free Surface Smectic-A," M.R. Fisch, L.B. Sorensen and P.S. Pershan, Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst., 67, l65 (l98l).

5. "Low Frequency Shear Elastic Properties of Smectic-A Liquid Crystals," M.R. Fisch, L.B. Sorensen and P.S. Pershan, IEEE Ultrasonic Symposium Proceedings, l009 (l980).

6. "Absolute Measurement of the Critical Properties of Second Sound at the Smectic-A to Nematic Phase Transition in 80CB," M.R. Fisch, L.B. Sorensen and P.S. Pershan, Phys. Rev. Lett.47, 43 (l98l).

7. "Anomalous Temperature-Dependence of the Elastic Constant B at the Smectic-to-Nematic Phase Transition in Binary Mixtures of 80CB-60CB," M.R. Fisch, L.B. Sorensen and P.S. Pershan, Phys. Rev. Lett., 48, 943 (l982).

8. "Absolute Measurement of the Critical Behavior of the Smectic Elastic Constant of Bilayer and Monolayer Smectic-A Liquid Crystals on Approaching the Transition to the Nematic Phase," M.R. Fisch, P.S. Pershan and L.B. Sorensen, Phys. Rev. A, 29, 274l (l984).

9. "Studies of the Quaternary Structure and Assembly of Human von Willebrand Factor Polymers," J. Loscalzo, M.R. Fisch and R.I. Handin, Biochemistry, 24, 4468 (l985).

10. "Opacification of g-crystalline Solutions from Calf Lens in Relation to Cold Cataract Formation," R.J. Siezen, M.R. Fisch, C. Slingsby and G.B. Benedek, Proceed, Nat'l. Acad. Sci. USA, 82, l70l (l985).

11. "Theory of Thermodynamic Properties and Phase Separation of Self-Associating Micellar Solutions," D. Blankschtein, G.M. Thurston, M.R. Fisch, and G.B. Benedek, Statistical Thermodynamics of Micellar and Microemulsion Systems, ed S.H. Chen and R. Rajagopodan (Springer-Verlag), pp 185-196.

12. "Theory of Thermodynamic Properties and Phase Separation of Micellar Solutions with Lower Consolute Points," G.M. Thurston, D. Blanckschtein, M.R. Fisch,, and G.B. Benedek, J. Chem. Phys., 84, 4558 (l986).

13. "The Effect of Hydrostatic Pressure on Micellar Size and Crystallization," M.R. Fisch and G.B. Benedek, J. Chem. Phys., 85, 553 (l986).

14. "Pressure Dependence of the Nematic-to-Isotropic Transition in the Lyotropic Liquid Crystal Cesium Perfluoro-Octanoate," M.R. Fisch, S. Kumar, and J.D. Litster, Phys. Rev. Lett., 57, 2830 (l986).

15. "Theory of Thermodynamic Properties and Phase Separation of Micellar Solutions," G.M. Thurston, D. Blankschtein, M.R. Fisch, and G.B. Benedek, in Physics of Complex and Supermolecular Fluids, ed by S.A. Safran and N.A. Clark, (Wiley and Sons, l987).

16. "Quasi-Elastic Light Scattering of Antigen-Antibody Complexes," D.M. Yarmush, R.M. Murphy, C.H. Colton, M. Fisch, and M.L. Yarmush, Molecular Immunology, 25, 17, (1988).

17. "A Computer Controlled Turbidity Apparatus", R.J. Nash and M.R. Fisch, Rev. Sci Instrum, 60, 3051, (1989).

18. "Principles of Laser Light Scattering Spectroscopy: Applications in the Physical Chemistry of Bile," D.E. Cohen, M.R. Fisch, and M.C. Carey, Hepatology,1990.

19. "The Liquid Crystal Phase Transition in Large Grown Micelles". J.R. Mishic, R.J. Nash and M.R. Fisch, Langmuir 6, 915, (1990).

20. "The Size and Flexibility of Grown SDS Micelles in NaCl-H20 Solutions". J.R. Mishic and M.R. Fisch, J. Chem. Phys. 92, 3222, (1990).

21. "A General Physics Laboratory Investigation of the Thermodynmics of a Rubber Band." G. Savarino and M.R. Fisch, Am. J. Phys. 59, 141, (1991).

22. Review of Liquid Crystals: "Nature's Delicate Phase of Matter", M.A. Mooney and M.R. Fisch, Am. J. Phys. 60, 958 (1992).

23. "High Pressure Quasielastic and Static Light Scattering Apparatus, C. J. Richards and M. R. Fisch, Rev. Sci. Inst., 65, 335, (1994).

24. "Evolution of the Diffusion Coefficient and Correlation Length of Aqueous Solutions of C12E6", T.M. Kole, C. J. Richards and M.R. Fisch, J. Phys. Chem, 98, 4949, (1994).

25. "Vanishing Fredericksz Transition Threshold Voltage in a Chiral Nematic Liquid Crystal", K.A. Crandall, M.R. Fisch, R.G. Petschek, and C.S. Rosenblatt, Applied Phys. Lett., 64, 1741, (1994).

26. "Homeotropic, Rub-free Liquid Crystal Light Shutter," K.A. Crandall, M.R. Fisch, R.G. Petschek, and C.S. Rosenblatt, Applied Phys. Lett., 65, 118, (1994).

27. "Observation of Quasi Two-Dimensional Nematic Order in a System of Rigid Rods," Michael R. Fisch and Charles Rosenblatt, Jour. de Phys. II, France 4, 103, (1994).

28. "A Light Scattering Study of the Effects of 1-pentanol on solutions of Sodium dodecyl Sulfate in NaCl-H2O Solutions," Shanna M. Stephany, Thomas M. Kole, and Michael R. Fisch, J. Phys. Chem, 98, 11126, (1994).

29. "Optical Studies of Supramolecular Tubular Structures generated by Taper-Shaped side Groups in the Columnar Hexagonal Phase," J-F Li, J. A. Heck, V. Percec, C. Rosenblatt, J. S. Collura, and M. R. Fisch, Jour. de Phys. II, France, 4, 1813 (1994).

30. "Aggregation Numbers of Micelles in Semidilute Solutions," J. M. Biltz, and M. R. Fisch, Langmuir, 11, 3595, (1995).

31. "Experimental Study of noise on photon Autocorrelation Functions," Daniel Harrison, and Michael R. Fisch, Langmuir, 12, 6691, (1996).

32. "Evaporation Kinetics of Polystyrene Bead Suspensions," James Conway, Heather Korns, and Michael R. Fisch, Langmuir, 13, 426, (1997).

33. "Effects of Pentanol Isomers on the Growth of SDS Micelles in 0.5 M NaCl," K. L. Thimmons, L. G. Brazdil, D. Harrison, and M. R. Fisch, J. Phys. Chem.101, 11087, (1997).

34. "Solution Behavior of the Zwitterionic Surfactant Octadecyldimethylbetaine," Daniel Harrison, Rita Szule, and M. R. Fisch, J. Phys. Chem. 102, 6487, (1998).

35. "Highly Anisotropic elasticity of a dendrimeric Liquid Crystal," A. J. Jin, M. R. Fisch, M. P. Mahajan, K. A. Crandall, P. Chu, C.-Y. Huang, V. Percec, R. G. Petschek, and C. Rosenblatt, Eur. Phys. J. B 5, 251, (1998).

36. "The Transition from Diffusing to Dynamic Light Scattering in Solutions of Monodisperse Polystyrene Spheres," M. Clapper, J. S. Collura, D. Harrison, M. R. Fisch, Phys. Rev. E, 59, 3631, 1999.

37. "Turbidity," chapter 62 in The Measurement, Instrumentation and Sensor Handbook, Ed. John Webster, CRC Press, January, 1999.

38. "Robust Liquid Crystal Droplets," D. Harrison and M. R. Fisch, Liquid Crystals, 27, 737, 2000.

39. "The effects of temperature, pressure and concentration on the Diffusivity of SDS Micelles," C. J. Richards, T. M. Kole, J. S. Collura, D. Harrison, and M. R. Fisch, J. Phys. Chem. B, 105, 4846, 4852, 2001

40. "Light Scattering Studies of Involucrin," D. Harrison and M. Fisch, in preparation.

41. "Introduction to Liquid Crystals", in Liquid Crystal Experimental Study of Physical properties and Phase Transitions, Ed. S. Kumar, Cambridge University Press (2001),
Pg 1-28.

42. "A Non-Rub Technique to Produce Surfaces that Induce Alignment in Liquid Crystals," Daniel Harrison, Michael R. Fisch, Rolfe Petschek, J-F Li, Frank Harris and Heather Korns, accepted by Japanese Journal of Applied Physics.

43. "New Techniques for fabrication of Flexible plastic LCD's," John L. West, Greg R. Novotny, Michael R. Fisch, and David Heineman, IMD '01 Digest (2001), p. 3-6.