Steven Gardner, Ph.D.

• 3-M Fellowship - 1987. Amount: $5,000.
• Oak Ridge Associated Universities 1993 Junior Faculty Enhancement Award.  Amount: $10,000.
• Granted membership in the International Community for Composites Engineering (ICCE) in August, 1994.
• Received the “Operational Excellence Award” from LyondellBasell for contributions toward optimizing dihydromyrcenol production at the Jacksonville plant, March, 2006.
• Achieved “Session Leader” certification in Apollo Root Cause Analysis, LyondellBasell, Jacksonville, FL, February, 2008.
• Recipient of the Pall President’s Award for Global Innovator of the Year, 2022.

During the 2024 academic year, the University of Idaho College of Engineering fulfilled its fifth endowed position naming internationally recognized chemical engineer Steven Gardner as the Lou Edwards Endowed Chair in Chemical Engineering. This endowed position is named after U of I alumnus and professor Lou Edwards and honors his tradition of excellence in leadership, teaching and research.

A university chemical engineering professor for 10 years and a principal chemical engineer in industry for more than 20 years, Dr. Gardner is recognized for his expertise in developing and synthesizing new materials for catalytic chemical conversion, membrane separation and structural composites. He is directly responsible for inventing one of the most active room-temperature CO oxidation catalysts to date. He also pioneered the surface characterization of carbon fibers, being the first to publish a detailed composition of carbon fiber cross-sections.

Dr. Gardner achieved Six-Sigma Black Belt certification in 2003. He has since expanded and leveraged that training to lead successful manufacturing process improvement projects that have provided over $2,000,000 in cost savings to industrial sponsors.

• Heterogenous Catalysis
• Surface Science
• Adhesion
• Membranes
• Composite Materials

• S. D. Gardner, G. B. Hoflund, M. R. Davidson and D. R. Schryer, "Evidence of Alloy Formation during the Reduction of Platinized Tin Oxide Surfaces," Journal of Catalysis, 115 (1989) 132.
• S. D. Gardner, G. B. Hoflund and D. R. Schryer, "Surface Characterization Study of the Reduction of an Air-Exposed Pt3Sn Alloy:  Part IV," Journal of Catalysis, 119 (1989) 179.
• J. E. Drawdy, G. B. Hoflund, S. D. Gardner, E. Yngvadottir and D. R. Schryer, "Effect of Pretreatment on a Platinized Tin Oxide Catalyst Used for Low-Temperature CO Oxidation," Surface and Interface Analysis, 16 (1990) 369.
• S. D. Gardner, G. B. Hoflund, D. R. Schryer, J. Schryer, B. T. Upchurch and D. R. Brown, "The Catalytic Behavior of Noble Metal/Reducible Oxide Materials for Low-Temperature CO Oxidation:  Part 1 - Comparison of Catalyst Performance," Langmuir, 7(10) (1991) 2135.
• S. D. Gardner, G. B. Hoflund, D. R. Schryer and B. T. Upchurch, "Characterization Study of Silica-Supported Platinized Tin Oxide Catalysts Used for Low-Temperature CO Oxidation:  Effect of Pretreatment Temperature," Journal of Physical Chemistry, 95 (1991) 835.
• S. D. Gardner, G. B. Hoflund, B. T. Upchurch, D. R. Schryer, J. Schryer and E. J. Kielin, "Comparison of the Performance Characteristics of Low-Temperature CO Oxidation Catalysts," Journal of Catalysis, 129 (1991) 114.
• S. D. Gardner, G. B. Hoflund, M. R. Davidson, H. A. Laitinen, D. R. Schryer and B. T. Upchurch, "The Catalytic Behavior of Noble Metal/Reducible Oxide Materials for Low-Temperature CO Oxidation:  Part 2 - Surface Characterization of Au/MnOx,"  Langmuir, 7(10) (1991) 2140.
• S. D. Gardner, C. U. Pittman, Jr. and R. M. Hackett, "Polymeric Composite Materials Incorporating an Elastomeric Interphase:  A Mathematical Assessment," Composites Science and Technology, 46(4) (1993) 307.
• S. D. Gardner, C. U. Pittman, Jr. and R. M. Hackett, "Residual Thermal Stresses in Filamentary Polymer-Matrix Composites Containing an Elastomeric Interphase," Journal of Composite Materials, 27(8) (1993) 830.  
• B. Y. Low, S. D. Gardner, C. U. Pittman, Jr. and R. M. Hackett, “A Micromechanical Characterization of Graphite Fiber/Epoxy Composites Containing a Heterogeneous Interphase Region,” Composites Science and Technology, 52 (1994) 589. 
• G. B. Hoflund, S. D. Gardner, D. R. Schryer, B. T. Upchurch, J. Schryer and E. J. Kielin, "Performance Characteristics of Low-Temperature CO Oxidation Catalysts," Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, 368 (1995) 139.  
• S. D. Gardner, C. U. Pittman, Jr., T. C. Chang, B. Y. Low and R. M. Hackett, “Microstress Distribution in Graphite Fiber/Epoxy Composites Containing an Elastomeric Interphase:  Response to Uniaxial and Biaxial Loading Conditions,” Composites, 26(4) (1995) 269.
• S. D. Gardner, C. S. K. Singamsetty, G. L. Booth, G. R. He and C. U. Pittman, Jr., "Surface Characterization of Carbon Fibers Using Angle-Resolved XPS and ISS," Carbon, 33(5) (1995) 587.
• B. Y. Low, S. D. Gardner, C. U. Pittman, Jr. and R. M. Hackett, “A Micromechanical Characterization of Residual Thermal Stresses in Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composites Containing a Non-Uniform Interphase Region,” Composites Engineering, 5(4) (1995) 375.
• Z. Wu, C. U. Pittman, Jr. and S. D. Gardner, "Nitric Acid Oxidation of Carbon Fibers and the Effects of Subsequent Treatment in Refluxing Aqueous NaOH," Carbon, 33(5) (1995) 597.  
• Z. Wu, C. U. Pittman, Jr. and S. D. Gardner, "Bonding Epoxide Functions to Nitric Acid-Oxidized Carbon Fibers Using Epichlorohydrin; A Reliable Analytical Determination of Epoxide Functions on Fiber Surfaces," Carbon, 33(5) (1995) 607.  
• K. Balasubramaniam, S. D. Gardner and Y. Ji, "A Study on the Influence of Fiber-Matrix Interphase Properties on Ultrasonic Wave Behavior Using Effective Elastic Property Models," Composites Engineering, 5(6) (1995) 675.
• B. Y. Low, K. L. Anderson, M. Vincent, S. D. Gardner, C. U. Pittman, Jr. and R. M. Hackett, “Toughened Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composites:  The Relative Influence of an Elastomer Interphase and Elastomer Dispersed in the Matrix,” Composites Engineering, 5(4) (1995) 437.
• G. B. Hoflund, S. D. Gardner, D. R. Schryer, B. T. Upchurch and E. J. Kielin, "Au/MnOx Catalytic Performance Characteristics for Low-Temperature Carbon Monoxide Oxidation," Applied Catalysis B:  Environmental, 6 (1995) 117.  
• C. U. Pittman, Jr., S. D. Gardner, G. He, L. Wang, Z. Wu, C. S. K. Singamsetty, B. Wu and G. Booth, Proceedings of the Spring 1995 Materials Research Society Meeting, San Francisco, CA, April 17-21, 1995, Vol. 385: Polymer/Inorganic Interfaces II, p. 195.
• G. B. Hoflund, S. D. Gardner, D. R. Schryer, B. T. Upchurch and E. J. Kielin, "Effect of CO2 on the Performance of Au/MnOx and Pt/SnOx Low-Temperature CO Oxidation Catalysts," Langmuir, 11 (1995) 3431.
• Z. Wu, C. U. Pittman, Jr. and S. D. Gardner, "Grafting Isocyanate-Terminated Elastomers onto the Surfaces of Carbon Fibers:  Reaction of Isocyanate with Acidic Surface Functions," Carbon, 34 (1996) 59.  
• S. D. Gardner, C. S. K. Singamsetty, Z. Wu and C. U. Pittman, Jr., "XPS/ISS Characterization of Carbon Fibers Sequentially Exposed to Nitric Acid and Sodium Hydroxide," Surface and Interface Analysis, 24 (1996) 311.
• S. D. Gardner, G. He and C. U. Pittman, Jr., "A Spectroscopic Examination of Carbon Fiber Cross Sections Using XPS and ISS," Carbon, 34 (1996) 1221.
• E. D. Perakslis, S. D. Gardner, and C. U. Pittman, Jr., "Surface Composition of Carbon Fibers Subjected to Oxidation in Nitric Acid Followed by Oxygen Plasma," Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology, 11 (1997) 531-551.  
• G. B. Hoflund, S. D. Gardner, D. R. Schryer, B. T. Upchurch and E. J. Kielin, "Influence of Promoters on the Performance of Au/MnOx and Pt/SnOx/SiO2 Low-Temperature CO Oxidation Catalysts," Reaction Kinetics Catalysis Letters, 58 (1996) 19.
• S. D. Gardner, C. S. K. Singamsetty, G. He and C. U. Pittman, Jr., "Chemical Bonding of Tetraethylenepentamine to Nitric-Acid-Oxidized Carbon Fibers:  An XPS/ISS Investigation," Applied Spectroscopy, 51 (1997) 636-648.
• C. U. Pittman, Jr., Z. Wu, W. Jiang, G. He, B. Wu, W. Li and S. D. Gardner, "Reactivities of Amine Functions Grafted to Carbon Fiber Surfaces by Tetraethylenepentamine.  Designing Interfacial Bonding," Carbon, 35 (1997) 929-943.
• C. U. Pittman, Jr., G. He, B. Wu and S. D. Gardner, "Chemical Modification of Carbon Fiber Surfaces by Nitric Acid Oxidation Followed by Reaction with Tetraethylenepentamine," Carbon, 35 (1997) 317-331.
• C. U. Pittman, Jr., G. He, B. Wu, and S. D. Gardner, "Titration of Tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) phenylisocyanate reaction products:  A model correction factor for determination of TEPA grafted to carbon surfaces,” Carbon, 35 (1997) 333-340.  
• C. U. Pittman, Jr., W. Jiang, G. He, and S. D. Gardner, "Oxygen Plasma and Isobutylene Plasma Treatments of Carbon Fibers:  Determination of Surface Functionality and Effects on Composite Properties,” Carbon, 36 (1998) 25-37.  
• S. F. Waseem, S. D. Gardner, G. He, W. Jiang and C. U. Pittman, Jr., “Adhesion and Surface Analysis of Carbon Fibers Electrochemically Oxidized in Potassium Nitrate,” J. Materials Science, 33 (1998) 3151-3162.
• B. Srinivasan and S. D. Gardner, “An Investigation of the Gas Sensing Properties of Au/MnOx:  Response to CO Exposure and Comparison to Pt/SnO2,” Surface and Interface Analysis, 26 (1998) 1035-1049.
  Z. Xu, N. S. Losure and S. D. Gardner, “Epoxy Resin Filled with Tire Rubber Particles Modified by Plasma Surface Treatment,” J. Advanced Materials, 30 (1998) 11-18.
• M. Roach, D. Parsell, S. Gardner and J. D. Bumgardner, "Correlation of Corrosion and Surface Analysis for Ni-Cr Alloys," Critical Reviews in Biomedical Engineering, 26 (1998) 391-392.
• C. U. Pittman, Jr., W. Jiang, Z. R. Yue, S. D. Gardner, LiChang Wang, Hossein Toghiani and Carlos. A. Leon y Leon, "Surface Properties of Electrochemically Oxidized Carbon Fibers," Carbon, 37 (1999) 1797-1807.
• Z. R. Yue, W. Jiang, L. Wang, H. Toghiani, S. D. Gardner and C. U. Pittman, Jr., "Adsorption of Precious Metal Ions onto Electrochemically Oxidized Carbon Fibers," Carbon, 37 (1999) 1607-1618.
• Z. R. Yue, W. Jiang, L. Wang, S. D. Gardner and C. U. Pittman, Jr., "Surface Characterization of Electrochemically Oxidized Carbon Fibers," Carbon, 37 (1999) 1785-1796.
• S. D. Gardner, "Enhanced Utilization of Hand Refractometers in Brewing Operations," The New Brewer, 17(4) (2000) 44-47.
• J. Iranmahboob, S. D. Gardner, H. Toghiani and D. O. Hill, "XPS Study of Molybdenum Sulfide Catalyst Exposed to CO and H2," J. Colloid and Interface Science, 270(1) (2004) 124-126.