Tendaya CEO Joins ETSU Chemistry Department

From East Tennessee State University:

November 16, 2021

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Dr. Mutombo Muvundamina, founder and chief executive officer of Tendaya Technology Group, has been appointed as an adjunct faculty member in the East Tennessee State University Department of Chemistry. The appointment will provide opportunities for collaboration and internships between Tendaya and ETSU, the university said.

“We are excited to join an institution that is known to support scholarly and creative activities to enhance the teaching and learning environment,” Muvundamina said. “We look forward to working side-by-side with our outstanding colleagues to help ETSU in its mission. We plan on working with the faculty and students on research and academic activities that benefit the regional, state, national and global communities ETSU serves.”

Muvundamina’s mission is for Tendaya to develop and commercialize novel materials for applications in green energy technology and in medical technology platforms, he said. His company will develop and distribute polymeric membrane materials for use in high-capacity batteries and polymeric materials for use in biomedical-related applications, as well as adhesives and composite polymer film adhesive for electronic and energy storage applications.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Muvundamina as a colleague in the Department of Chemistry,” said Dr. Robert Standaert, ETSU Department of Chemistry chair. “He brings a wealth of experience from industry and an extraordinary breadth of expertise in materials science that really enriches our department. Our faculty and students look forward to the new opportunities that working with Dr. Muvundamina and Tendaya Technologies will bring.”

Tendaya Technology Group joined the ETSU Innovation Lab, an organization that helps aspiring entrepreneurs develop emerging technologies, as a member in January.

“Dr. Muvundamina has an impressive background with over 30 years in academia and industry on materials, polymers, manufacturing and commercialization,” said Dr. Audrey Depelteau, director of the Innovation Lab. “He brings a remarkable level of experience to the Innovation Lab, and this appointment will certainly expand the relationship between industry and the faculty and students at ETSU.”

Muvundamina has a doctorate in polymer science and a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Washington, and he has worked in various industry settings, including H.B. Fuller Company and Eastman Chemical Company. He previously taught as an associate professor at the University of Minnesota.

This press release was produced by East Tennessee State University. The views expressed are the author's own.