Assistant Professor Matthew Golder has been named a 2026 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar by The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation.
The Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards Program supports the research and teaching careers of talented early career faculty in the chemical sciences. The Award, which requires an institutional nomination, is based on an independent body of scholarship attained in the early years of their appointment, as well as a demonstrated commitment to undergraduate education, and provides an unrestricted research grant of $100,000.
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, read A Second Life for Plastics recently published by the College of Arts & Sciences, and visit his faculty page or research group website.
About the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation
The purpose of the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc., is to advance the science of chemistry, chemical engineering, and related sciences as a means of improving human relations and circumstances throughout the world. Established in 1946 by chemist, inventor, and businessman Camille Dreyfus as a memorial to his brother Henry, the Foundation became a memorial to both men when Camille Dreyfus died in 1956. Throughout its history the Foundation has sought to take the lead in identifying and addressing needs and opportunities in the chemical sciences through a series of programs and awards. Learn more about the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation by visiting its website.