Cecile Grubb

Assistant Research Professor

PACCAR 348
cecile.grubb@wsu.edu
509-335-5975
Curriculum Vitae link

Research Interests

  • Sustainable and bio-based composites
  • Reactive extrusion 
  • Size reduction technologies
  • Plastics and composites recycling 
  • Life cycle analysis 
Google Scholar profile

Professional Experience

  • Research Assistant Professor, Composite Materials & Engineering Center (CMEC) and Biological Systems Engineering (BSE). Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 2026 – Present
  • Doctoral Research Fellow, Volkswagen Group of America, Knoxville, TN, 2021 – 2025
  • Graduate Student Researcher, Teaching and Learning Institute. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 2022 – 2023
  • Research Associate, Plastics and Composites Engineering. Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 2014 – 2021
  • Research and Development Graduate Intern, Momentive Specialty Chemicals, Springfield, OR, 2013 – 2014

Education

  • Ph.D. | Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, 2025
  • M.S. | Chemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 2014
  • B.S. | Chemistry, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, 2013

Awards

  • Volunteer of Distinction – Excellence in Research. Office of the Provost, University of Tennessee Knoxville (2025)
  • SAMPE Young Professional Emerging Leadership AwardSociety for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (2024)

Publications

  • C. Grubb, M. Kardos, J. Chen, M. Mokhtarnejad, W. Henken, M. Jin, D. Keffer, D. Harper. (2025). “Life Cycle Assessment of Paper-Based Composites as Replacement for Injection Molded Polypropylene Automotive Door Component”. Sustainable Materials and Technologies, 45, e01725. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01725 
  • W. Henken, S. Young, V. Chwala, C. Grubb, R. Bergee, M. Selim, J. McKay, H. Mainka, M. Kardos, D. Penumadu. (2025). “Multi-scale stochastic study of glass fiber sizing effects in automotive structural sheet molding compounds”. Composites Part B: Engineering, 306, 112795. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2025.112795
  • C. Grubb, M. Mokhtarnejad, J. Greene, J. Misasi, D. Keffer, M. Kardos, H. Mainka, & D. Harper. (2024). Development of an automotive-relevant recycling process for paper fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites. Recycling, 9(6), 126. https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling9060126
  • C. Grubb, M. Kardos, C. Webb, H. Mainka, D. Keffer, & D. Harper. (2024). Manufacturing and characterization of polypropylene-paper composites for automotive applications. SAMPE Journal, 60(6). https://doi.org/10.33599/sj.v60no6.01
  • C. Grubb, D. Keffer, C. Webb, M. Kardos, H. Mainka, & D. Harper. (2024). Paper fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites from nonwoven preforms: A study on compression molding optimization from a manufacturing perspective. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 185, 108339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2024.108339