Speaker

Karen Wooley holds the W. T. Doherty-Welch Chair in Chemistry and is a University Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Chemistry and Materials Science & Engineering at Texas A&M University. Wooley studied at Oregon State University (B.S., 1988) and Cornell University (Ph.D., 1993). She began an independent academic career at Washington University in St. Louis (1993-2009) and has been on the faculty of Texas A&M University for the past fifteen years. In addition to her academic positions, she is a co-founder and President of Sugar Plastics, LLC, and Chief Technology Officer of Teysha Technologies, Ltd. Her research focuses on the development of synthetic strategies to harness the rich compositional, regiochemical and stereochemical complexity of natural products for the construction of hydrolytically-degradable polymers, which have impact toward sustainability, reduction of reliance on petrochemicals, and production of biologically-beneficial and environmentally-benign natural products upon degradation – these materials are expected to impact the global issue of plastic pollution and address challenges resulting from climate change. Recent significant awards include election as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2015), National Academy of Inventors (2019), and National Academy of Sciences (2020); she was also named as the 2021 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Professor of the Year.

« Go Back