Matthew Golder has been selected as a 2026 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow in Chemistry. These two-year, $75,000 fellowships are awarded yearly to 126 early-career researchers in recognition of distinguished performance and a unique potential to make substantial contributions to their field.
Assistant Professor Matthew Golder’s research program addresses the omnipresent "plastics problems" from two different vantage points. First, the team thinks about new ways to prolong the useful lifetime of commodity materials. The researchers use molecular engineering to keep plastics in use longer before discarding. The Golder group also develops new methods to make and repurpose plastics, with an emphasis on green chemistry and making plastics more recyclable.
"Plastics are paramount to daily life, so there are numerous opportunities to improve performance and mitigate waste. We operate at the interface of physical organic chemistry and materials science to enhance plastic integrity and sustainability. By doing so, my students really take this mission to heart and constantly dream up new ways to creatively (re)design plastic," Golder said.
For more information about Prof. Golder and his research, visit his faculty page or research group website.