Rate My Professor Rongjia Tao

Rongjia Tao is Professor of Physics in the Department of Physics at Temple University’s College of Science and Technology. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics from Columbia University in May 1982, M.Ph. in Physics from Columbia University in January 1982, M.A. in Physics from Columbia University in October 1980, and B.S. from the University of Science and Technology of China in 1970. Throughout his career, he has served as Chair of the Physics Department at Temple University and previously held a faculty position at Southern Illinois University, where he was recognized with the Outstanding Scholar Award in 1998.

Tao’s research centers on experimental and theoretical condensed matter physics, with a focus on soft matter, including electrorheological (ER) and magnetorheological (MR) effects in complex fluids such as blood, liquid chocolate, and crude oil. His innovations include magnetic hematology devices to reduce blood viscosity, suppress turbulence in circulation, and treat hypertension; ER technology to decrease viscosity and fat levels in chocolate; ER and MR methods to reduce crude oil viscosity, suppress pipeline turbulence, and enhance engine efficiency; and strong magnetic field treatments to disassemble blood clots for severe COVID-19 thrombosis cases. Other areas encompass superconductors in strong electric fields and quantum Hall effects. He has received the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from the 18th International Conference on Electrorheological Fluids and Magnetorheological Suspensions; 2019 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award; 2014 Dean’s Distinguished Excellence in Research Award from Temple’s College of Science and Technology; 2004 American Physical Society Fellowship in the Division of Condensed Matter Physics; and 1987 Omni magazine prize for solving the "vicious neighbor problem." Key publications feature "Three-dimensional Structure of Induced Electrorheological Solid" (Physical Review Letters, 1991), "Electrorheology leads to healthier and tastier chocolate" (PNAS, 2016), "Reducing blood viscosity with magnetic fields" (Physical Review E, 2011), and patents including US Patent 11,406,840 B2 (2022) for systems reducing blood viscosity and curing rouleaux. His work has significantly influenced applications in health, energy production, and food processing.