Nicolas J. Alvarez is a Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Drexel University. Alvarez received his PhD from Carnegie Mellon University specializing in the area of surfactant transport phenomena at fluid-fluid interfaces with Lynn Walker and Shelley Anna. Prior to joining the faculty at Drexel, Alvarez studied polymer physics and dynamics as a researcher at the Technical University of Denmark with Ole Hassager. During this time, Alvarez developed the first table top filament stretching rheometer, which has since been patented and is available commercially through his co-founded company Rheo Filament ApS. He is the recipient of several awards acknowledging his contributions to the field of extensional rheology and colloid science.