Dr. Carolyn Primus is a graduate of the University of Illinois in Ceramic Engineering, and she holds MS and PhD degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California. Her 40-year career has spanned both coasts and includes diverse employment in government labs, private industry, and consulting. Most recently, she started a company manufacturing dental materials – Avalon Biomed Inc.. The company is devoted to manufacturing, distributing and marketing bioactive materials to improve oral health worldwide, with affordable clinically-effective products. The company mission includes donations to underserved communities worldwide.
Primus has published in peer-reviewed journals and has 13 patents. She serves as the US Expert on endodontic materials for the American Dental Association. Her volunteer work recently took her to Bangkok, where she visited the Grand Palace (and posed for this photo). “I credit the University of Illinois curriculum as my foundation for my career in materials science,” Primus said.
With Gino Primus, she established the Primus Engineering Scholarship Fund in 2013 to provide scholarship support to deserving underprivileged female undergraduate engineering students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Primus continues to be an excellent role model and supports our Women in Engineering students.