Karen Cortes Guzman is a Research and Development Associate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and a University of Tennessee–Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT-ORII) Fellow within the Advanced Manufacturing for Affordable Building Construction Convergent Research Initiative.

Her research centers on developing advanced polymeric materials for building technologies, including structural adhesives, adaptive sealants, insulation systems, flame-retardant materials, and multifunctional coatings. By integrating chemistry, sustainable feedstocks, and advanced manufacturing, she develops materials that accelerate construction while improving durability, safety, and energy performance. Her work spans molecular design, materials characterization, and technology scale-up in close collaboration with industry and federal partners.

Prior to her current appointment, Karen served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at ORNL after earning her Ph.D. in Chemistry from The University of Texas at Dallas. During her doctoral research, she developed sustainable polymer resins for vat photopolymerization 3D printing, with emphasis on recyclable thermosets and high-performance materials. She has contributed to various multidisciplinary research programs, invention disclosures, patent applications, and technology transfer efforts, with expertise in chemical synthesis, additive manufacturing, and structure–property relationships-based formulation of functional materials.

Education