Cornell University
The editors of the Journal of Polymer Science and the Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE) Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) are delighted to present the 2020 Journal of Polymer Science Innovation Award to Dr. Brett P. Fors.
In the 9 years since its inception, the Journal of Polymer Science Innovation Award honors polymer scientists under the age of 40 to celebrate their significant research innovation and achievement in the field. Winners are recognized at a symposium in association with PMSE at the ACS Fall meeting.
Brett currently works as Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Cornell University. He received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Professor Stephen L. Buchwald, followed by a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of California, Santa Barbara under the guidance of Professor Craig Hawker.
Brett’s research group focuses on three important scientific challenges at the interface of organic chemistry and polymer science. First, they aim to develop new systems to enable precise regulation over catalyst reactivity in situ with light. Second, his group investigates new strategies for the synthesis of conjugated polymers. Lastly, Brett explores new catalyst systems photomediated radical polymerizations.
For Brett’s significant achievements, he has been named an ACS PMSE Young Investigator and has been awarded the NSF CAREER Award, the Sloan Research Fellowship, the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award, the PolyChar Bruce Hartman Young Investigator Prize, and the Thieme Chemistry Journal Award. Recognizing his exceptional track record and groundbreaking contributions to polymer synthesis and material science, we are thrilled to present him with the Journal of Polymer Science Innovation Award.