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PMSE Early Investigator Symposium

The PMSE Early Investigator Symposium features invited oral presentations by honorees selected for their early-career professional accomplishments in the field of polymer science and engineering


Submissions will open for the PMSE Early Investigator Symposium from January 1 to February 1. The Google form is available at the link [here]. Please review the nomination guidelines and prepare your information package.


2025 Early Investigators Honorees

The PMSE Early Investigators Award Committee selected twenty four members, consisting of professors, government researchers, and industry scientists across the field of polymer science. A symposium highlighting their work will be held at the 2025 Fall ACS National Meeting.

First NameLast NameUniversity
ChibuezeAmanchukwuUniversity of Chicago
Herdeline AnnArdonaUniversity of California, Irvine
WubinBaiUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
LukeBaldwinAir Force Research Laboratory
José AugustoBerrocalInstitute of Chemical Research of Catalonia
TristanClemonsUniversity of Southern Mississippi
GrahamCollierUniversity of Southern Mississippi
KailongJinArizona State University
MiladKamkarUniversity of Waterloo
AlexKosanovichDow Chemical Company
JimmyLawrenceLouisiana State University
AlexandraPatersonUniversity of Kentucky
AbdonPena-FranceschUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor
YusenQiaoDow Chemical Company
GregSuLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
CarolineSzczepanskiMichigan State University
RuiWangUniversity of California, Berkeley
YichunWangUniversity of Notre Dame
David M.WarsingerPurdue University
JörgWernerBoston University
RobertWoodwardUniversity of Vienna
WeinanXuUniversity of Akron
FengyiZhangDow Chemical Company
JiadengZhuBrewer Science Inc.

Award Details

Selected nominees will give an invited technical talk at the Spring ACS National meeting, describing their research advances at a special symposium featuring the other PMSE Early Investigators. This special symposium will be accompanied by a networking reception with the other Early Investigators, keynote speakers, and selected invited guests from the PMSE community.

History

The symposium was established in 2017, and changed to the current title in 2022 to reflect a broader scope of early career options.

Nominations

Nomination packages should follow package submission guidelines detailed below.

Selection will be made by organizers and ad-hoc members based on information provided in the nomination package, including research innovation and productivity as an independent research investigator, along with teaching and service.

Past Recipients

Nominations and Award Process

Purpose

The PMSE Early Investigator (EI) Symposium is a forum to highlight the professional accomplishments of early-career investigators who are emerging leaders in the field of polymer science and engineering, across academia, industry, and national labs.  

Awardees will be honored at the PMSE Early Investigator Symposium held once a year during the Fall National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (location changes annually).

Rules of Eligibility

PMSE defines a “Early Investigator” as an early-career scientist or engineer who is no more than 7 years beyond the start of their independent research career (beyond postdoc).  PMSE strongly encourages nominations from academic, industrial, government, and other private research organizations, both foreign and domestic, that engage in the research and development of polymeric materials.  Nominations of individuals from historically underrepresented groups in STEM are strongly encouraged.  Nominees more than 7 years past the beginning of their independent careers will be considered in cases where the candidate has taken professional leave. Nominees are strongly encouraged to be members of the PMSE Division.

Postdocs and PhD graduates in the field of polymer science and engineering who are interested in future careers in academia are encouraged to apply for the “PMSE Future Faculty Scholars” program.

Nomination Process

Nominations are open between January 1 and February 1 of each calendar year. The deadline may be extended if needed.

Early career scientists and engineers from academia, industry, government, or private research organizations are encouraged to be nominated for the PMSE Early Investigator Symposium. The candidate’s research should align within the themes of ACS and the PMSE Division. Nominations are to be made by a mentor (e.g., postdoc advisor, PhD advisor, manager, or senior colleague). Self-nominations are not permitted. The nomination package must be uploaded via Google Forms, which will have a link available during the nomination window.

In addition to contact information for the nominee and nominator, a single PDF containing the following items, in this order, must be uploaded:

  1. Nomination letter addressing the nominee’s professional successes and impact (2 page maximum)
  2. Nominee’s title and abstract of the tentative presentation for the ACS meeting (~ 300 words)
  3. Nominee’s curriculum vitae (CV), including relevant information about publications, service, and mentorship

The PMSE Early Investigator Symposium seeks to recognize early career scientists who have had a significant impact on the field of polymer science and engineering. The nomination letter should explain researcher’s accomplishment and provide the context for understanding its impact. PMSE recognizes that impact can look quite different depending on whether the nominee is from academia, industry, or a national laboratory. The nomination letter should describe the importance of the nominee’s accomplishments relative to the environment they come from. Evidence to support this impact could include (but is not limited to):

  • Advances in scientific knowledge
  • Patents and publications
  • Product development
  • New measurements and materials
  • Engagement with and service to the nominee’s department or institution, national organization(s), or community
  • Mentorship and STEM workforce development

Questions regarding the nomination process can be sent to yisymposium@pmsedivision.org

Award Selection

Awardees will be selected based on accomplishments, the importance of these accomplishments to the nominee’s profession, and the overall impact on the field of polymer science and engineering. Nominations will be reviewed by organizers & ad hoc members of the selection committee based on information provided.

Award Announcement and Nature

Awardees will be notified at least one week before the deadline for submission of the abstracts for the Fall ACS National Meeting.

Selected nominees will give an invited technical talk describing their research advances at a special symposium featuring the other PMSE Early Investigators and keynote speakers from industry, national labs, and academia.  This special symposium will be accompanied by a networking reception with the other Early Investigators, keynote speakers, and selected invited guests from the PMSE community. The PMSE Young Polymer Scientists and Engineering Committee provides oversight to the coordination of the symposium. The organizers for the 2024 program are Christian Pester (Penn State) and Chris Stafford (NIST).


Prior Year Announcements for Young Investigator Honorees

The inaugural symposium was held at the Fall 2017 National ACS Meeting in San Francisco and featured 22 Future Faculty Scholars, as well as keynote talks delivered by established leaders in the field of polymer science and engineering applying for and starting jobs in academia. Many former honorees are currently independent faculty at academic institutions across the globe. This program is run annually, with nominations due early in the calendar year and the symposium held at the fall national meeting.

A full searchable table is provided for all 181 honorees to date.

First NameLast NameUniversityYear
ChibuezeAmanchukwuUniversity of Chicago2025
Herdeline AnnArdonaUniversity of California, Irvine2025
WubinBaiUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill2025
LukeBaldwinAir Force Research Laboratory2025
José AugustoBerrocalInstitute of Chemical Research of Catalonia2025
TristanClemonsUniversity of Southern Mississippi2025
GrahamCollierUniversity of Southern Mississippi2025
KailongJinArizona State University2025
MiladKamkarUniversity of Waterloo2025
AlexKosanovichDow Chemical Company2025
JimmyLawrenceLouisiana State University2025
AlexandraPatersonUniversity of Kentucky2025
AbdonPena-FranceschUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor2025
YusenQiaoDow Chemical Company2025
GregSuLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory2025
CarolineSzczepanskiMichigan State University2025
RuiWangUniversity of California, Berkeley2025
YichunWangUniversity of Notre Dame2025
David M.WarsingerPurdue University2025
JörgWernerBoston University2025
RobertWoodwardUniversity of Vienna2025
WeinanXuUniversity of Akron2025
FengyiZhangDow Chemical Company2025
JiadengZhuBrewer Science Inc.2025
StephanieBarbonDow Chemical Company2024
Johannes C.BrendelUniversity of Bayreuth2024
LihengCaiUniversity of Virginia2024
Wan-TingChenUniversity of Massachusetts Lowell2024
KaitlynCrawfordUniversity of Central Florida2024
YifanDongDow Chemical Company2024
MatthewGolderUniversity of Washington2024
MiaoHongChinese Academy of Sciences2024
JovanKamcevUniversity of Michigan2024
LaureKayserUniversity of Delaware2024
YoonseobKimHong Kong University of Science and Technology2024
AbigailKnightUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill2024
SvetlanaMorozovaCase Western Reserve University2024
P.PadmanabhanRochester Institute of Technology2024
JihyeParkUniversity of Colorado2024
LuqingQiDow Chemical Company2024
EleftheriaRoumeliUniversity of Washington2024
MichaelSchulzVirginia Technological University2024
AmirSheikhiPennsylvania State University2024
JunpengWangUniversity of Akron2024
XiaoguangWangOhio State University2024
MostafaYourdkhaniColorado State University2024
ChengZhangUniversity of Quennsland2024
A.ZhukhovitskiyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill2024
JinhyeBaeUniversity of California, San Diego2023
RhettBaillieDow Chemical Company2023
MichelleCalabreseUniversity of Minnesota2023
MatthewCarterDow Chemical Company2023
ShiwangChengMichigan State University2023
ShudiptoDishariUniversity of Nebraska at Lincoln2023
ElizabethElacquaPennsylvania State University2023
MicheleGaliziaUniversity of Oklahoma2023
LihuaJinUniversity of California, Los Angeles2023
ReikaKatsumataUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst2023
AnthonyKotulaNIST2023
JenniferLaaserUniversity of Pittsburgh2023
TianLanDow Chemical Company2023
YingLiUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison2023
RobertMacfarlaneMassachusetts Institute of Technology2023
LutzNuhnUniversity of Würzburg2023
Shrayesh N.PatelUniversity of Chicago2023
StacyPesekDow Chemical Company2023
LouisPitetHasselt University2023
ZheQiangUniversity of Southern Mississippi2023
JeromeRobinsonBrown University2023
SihongWangUniversity of Chicago2023
DongWoog LeeUNIST2023
WenjieXiaNorth Dakota State University2023
JieXuArgonne National Laboratory2023
AthinaAnastasakiETH Zurich2022
MohammadArjmandUniversity of British Columbia2022
KellyBurkeUniversity of Connecticut2022
JunChenUniversity of California, Los Angeles2022
Xi (Chelsea)ChenOak Ridge National Laboratory2022
LesleyChowLehigh University2022
ChristopherEvansUniversity of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign2022
GraceGuUniversity of California, Berkeley2022
SahikaInalKing Abdullah University2022
PiranKidambiVanderbilt University2022
DanielKingHokkaido University2022
KatelynLanguell3M2022
QuentinMichaudelTexas A&M University2022
ZachariahPageUnivesity of Texas, Austin2022
NathanielParkIBM2022
ChristianPesterPennsylvania State University2022
MaxwellRobbCalifornia Institute of Technology2022
KenanSongArizona State University2022
RanTaoNIST2022
MuzhouWangNorthwestern University2022
Xueju (Sophie)WangUniversity of Connecticut2022
RongYangCornell University2022
Matthew B.BakerMaastricht University, The Netherlands2021
Sidi A.BencherifNortheastern University2021
Elizabeth J.BrisboisUniversity of Georgia2021
PengfeiCaoOak Ridge National Laboratory2021
MaoChenFudan University, China2021
LeilaDeraviNortheastern University2021
Kun (Kelvin)FuUniverstiy of Delaware2021
NagarjunaGavvalapalliGeorgetown University2021
ChenfengKeDartmouth College2021
JiaNiuBoston College2021
AllieObermeyerColumbia University2021
HaritzSardonUniversity of Basque Country / Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV-EHU), Spain2021
SamanvayaSrivastavaUniversity of California, Los Angeles2021
LaurenZarzarPennsylvania State University2021
JonathanBarnesWashington University at St. Louis2020
BlairBrettmannGeorgia Institute of Technology2020
MelanieChiuStony Brook University2020
HoyongChungFlorida State University2020
RezaFoudaziNew Mexico State2020
XiaodanGuUniversity of Southern Mississippi2020
ZacharyHudsonUniversity of British Columbia2020
HuaLuPeking University2020
JianguoMeiPurdue University2020
JianQinStanford University2020
JonathanRivnayNorthwestern University2020
JenniferSchaeferUniversity of Notre Dame2020
CharlesSingUniversity of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign2020
MorganStefikUniversity of South Carolina2020
MatthewWebberUniversity of Notre Dame2020
EricAppelStanford University2019
ChristopherBatesUniversity of California, Santa Barbara2019
GauravGiriUniversity of Virginia2019
DamienGuironnetU of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign2019
WillGutekunstGeorgia Institute of Technology2019
RobertHickeyPennsylvania State University2019
JuliaKalowNorthwestern University2019
NathalieLavoineNorth Carolina State University2019
FrankLeibfarthUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill2019
AndrewMagenauDrexel University2019
AdrianneRosalesUniversity of Texas at Austin2019
EllenSlettenUniversity of California, Los Angeles2019
ZhitingTianCornell University2019
MingjiangZhongYale University2019
ChrisAlabiCornell University2018
MatthiasBarzJohannes Gutenberg University Mainz2018
GuosongChenFudan University, China2018
KaiChenCarbon 3D2018
EliafEgapRice University2018
AdamEkenseairNortheastern University2018
MikeHoreCase Western Reserve University2018
JustinKennemurFlorida State University2018
ChrisKloxinUniversity of Delaware2018
DominikKonkolewiczMiami University Ohio2018
Guoliang (Greg)LiuVirginia Technological University2018
JohnMatsonVirginia Technological University2018
PsarasMcGrierOhio State Unviersity2018
KatherineMiricaDartmouth College2018
EdPalermoRennsealear Polytenchic Institute (RPI)2018
VictoriaPiunovaIBM2018
JonPokorskiUniversity of California, San Diego2018
TimScottUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor2018
StefanieSydlikCarnegie Mellon University2018
DavitaWatkinsUniversity of Mississippi2018
KeZhangNortheastern University2018
RoeyAmirTel Aviv University2017
JeffreyByersBoston College2017
ColeDeForestUniversity of Washington2017
AaronEsser-KahnUniversity of California, Irvine2017
LeiFangTexas A&M University2017
BrettForsCornell University2017
KamilGodulaUniversity of California, San Diego2017
MatthewKiesewetterUniversity of Rhode Island2017
RebekkaKlaussenJohns Hopkins University2017
AprilKloxinUniversity of Delaware2017
YiLiuMolecular Foundry2017
LaetitiaMespouilleUniversity of Mons, Belgium2017
CecileMonteauxCNRS ESPCI, France2017
DeidreO’CarrolRutgers, The State University of New Jerse2017
GraceO’ConnellUniversity of California, Berkeley2017
MichelleO’MalleyUniversity of California, Santa Barbara2017
EmilyPentzerCase Western Reserve University2017
JavierRead de AlanizUniversity of California, Santa Barbara2017
MeganRobertsonUniversity of Houston2017
DwightSeferosUniversity of Toronto2017
RudyWojteckiIBM2017
YanXiaStanford University2017

Prior Year Announcments

2023 Early Investigator Symposium Honorees

2022 Young Investigator Symposium Honorees (Chicago, IL)

Young Investigator Honorees – Fall 2021

Young Investigator Honorees – Fall 2020

Young Investigator Honorees – Fall 2019

Fall 2018 (Boston)

Organizers

Emily Pentzer (Case Western Reserve University)
Cole DeForest (University of Washington)

Keynote Speakers

  • Marc Hillmyer (University of Minnesota)
  • Matthew Becker (University of Akron)
  • Zhenan Bao (Stanford)
  • Stuart Rowan (University of Chicago)

PMSE Young Investigators

  • Chris Alabi (Cornell)
  • Matthias Barz (Mainz)
  • Guosong Chen (Fudan)
  • Kai Chen (Carbon 3D)
  • Eliaf Egap (Rice)
  • Adam Ekenseair (Northeastern)
  • Mike Hore (Case Western Reserve)
  • Justin Kennemur (Florida State)
  • Chris Kloxin (Delaware)
  • Dominik Konkolewicz (Miami University Ohio)
  • Guoliang (Greg) Liu (Virginia Tech)
  • John Matson (Virginia Tech)
  • Psaras McGrier (Ohio State)
  • Katherine Mirica (Dartmouth)
  • Ed Palermo (RPI)
  • Victoria Piunova (IBM)
  • Jon Pokorski (UC San Diego)
  • Tim Scott (Michigan)
  • Stefanie Sydlik (Carnegie Mellon)
  • Davita Watkins (Mississippi)
  • Ke Zhang (Northeastern)

Fall 2017 (San Francisco)

Organizers

Jeannette M. Garcia (IBM Research)
Luis Campos (Columbia University)

Keynote Speakers

  • Karen Wooley (Texas A&M)
  • Craig Hawker (UC Santa Barbara)
  • Joe DeSimone (Carbon)
  • Carolyn Bertozzi (Stanford)

PMSE Young Investigators

  • Roey Amir (Tel Aviv U)
  • Jeffrey Byers (Boston College)
  • Cole DeForest (Washington)
  • Aaron Esser-Kahn (UC Irvine)
  • Lei Fang (Texas A&M)
  • Brett Fors (Cornell)
  • Kamil Godula (UC San Diego)
  • Matthew Kiesewetter (U Rhode Island)
  • Rebekka Klaussen (Johns Hopkins)
  • April Kloxin (Delaware)
  • Yi Liu (Molecular Foundry)
  • Laetitia Mespouille (U Mons, Belgium)
  • Cecile Monteaux (CNRS ESPCI, France)
  • Deidre O’Carrol (Rutgers)
  • Grace O’Connell (UC Berkeley)
  • Michelle O’Malley (UC Santa Barbara)
  • Emily Pentzer (Case Western Reserve)
  • Javier Read de Alaniz (UC Santa Barbara)
  • Megan Robertson (U Houston)
  • Dwight Seferos (U Toronto)
  • Rudy Wojtecki (IBM)
  • Yan Xia (Stanford)