Rate My Professor Rongjia Tao

Rongjia Tao is a Professor of Physics in the Department of Physics at Temple University's College of Science and Technology. He received his BS from the University of Science and Technology of China in 1970, followed by an MA in Physics from Columbia University in 1980, an M.Ph. in Physics in 1982, and a PhD in Physics from Columbia University in May 1982. His research specializes in experimental and theoretical condensed matter physics, with a focus on soft matter. Tao investigates electrorheological (ER) and magnetorheological (MR) effects in complex fluids, including blood, liquid chocolate, and crude oil. He has developed technologies to reduce blood viscosity using magnetic fields, treating hypertension by simultaneously lowering viscosity along flow direction and suppressing turbulence. Additional applications include using ER effects to produce healthier, tastier low-fat chocolate and to decrease crude oil viscosity for improved pipeline flow and engine efficiency. His early work on superconductors in strong electric fields and the quantum Hall effect laid foundational insights into topological quantization and phases of matter. Recent efforts explore magnetic fields to disassemble blood clots in COVID-19 patients with severe thrombosis.

Tao's contributions are documented in key publications such as 'Electrorheology leads to healthier and tastier chocolate' in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2016), 'Reducing blood viscosity with magnetic fields' in Physical Review E (2011), and patents including US Patent 11,406,840 B2 (2022) for systems reducing blood viscosity, suppressing turbulence, and curing rouleaux. Other notable works include 'Formation of High Temperature Superconducting Balls' in Physical Review Letters (1999) and 'Three-dimensional Structure of Induced Electrorheological Solid' in Physical Review Letters (1991). His achievements have earned him the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from the 18th International Conference on Electrorheological Fluids and Magnetorheological Suspensions, 2019 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, 2014 Outstanding Research Award from Temple's College of Science and Technology, 2004 American Physical Society Fellowship in the Division of Condensed Matter Physics, 1998 Southern Illinois University Outstanding Scholar Award, and a shared 1987 Omni magazine prize for solving the 'vicious neighbor problem.'