Marc A. Hillmyer

Marc A. Hillmyer
McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair, Distinguished University Teaching Professor, Director of NSF Center for Sustainable Polymers, Department of ChemistryContact
Smith Hall Room 209 207 Pleasant Street SeMinneapolis, MN 55455
Affiliations
Education
B.S. University of Florida, 1989
Ph.D. California Institute of Technology, 1994
Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Minnesota, 1994-1997
Biography
Marc Hillmyer received his Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Florida in 1989 and his doctorate in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1994. After completing a postdoctoral research position in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, he joined the Chemistry faculty at Minnesota in 1997. He is currently the McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Chemistry and leads a research group focused on the synthesis and self-assembly of multifunctional polymers. In addition to his teaching and research responsibilities, Marc served as an associate editor for the ACS journal Macromolecules from 2008-2017, and is currently the editor-in-chief of Macromolecules. He is also the director of the Center for Sustainable Polymers headquartered at the University of Minnesota, a National Science Foundation Center for Chemical Innovation.
Polymer Chemistry
Nanoscience & Materials Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Environmental & Green Chemistry
Energy & Catalysis
The Hillmyer research group focuses on the design, synthesis, characterization, and applications of advanced macromolecular materials. We strive to establish structure-property relationships and to discover and develop technologically important applications of polymers. We use modern polymer synthesis techniques that include various controlled polymerizations and selective polymer modifications, and these synthetic efforts provide the foundation for most projects. Ultimately, we aim to combine contemporary polymer synthesis with detailed molecular, morphological and property characterization to expand our knowledge of fundamental polymer science and advance new technologies.
Our spotlight areas of research include the development of sustainable polymers from renewable resources and hybrid macromolecular structures that combine disparate polymeric elements into a single compound. As project areas are often interrelated, our group encourages and embraces collaboration. In addition to collaborations between members of the Hillmyer group, several formal cooperative relationships have been established with several other research groups at the University of Minnesota. The overall polymer science effort at the University of Minnesota is wide-ranging, and the extensive infrastructure and collaborative nature of the faculty truly fosters a unique research environment.
Honors and Awards
Bright Science Award in materials sciences, 2020
American Chemistry Society Fellow, 2019
Appointed Editor-in-Chief of Macromolecules, 2018
Entrepreneurial Researcher Award (University of Minnesota Innovation Award), 2017
McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair, University of Minnesota, 2015
NSF Division of Materials Research, Special Creativity Extension, 2014-2015
Postbaccalaureate, Graduate, and Professional Education Award, 2014
PTN Medema Award, 2013
Selected Publications
Mailing Address
Marc A. Hillmyer
University of Minnesota
Department of Chemistry
A-4, 139 Smith Hall, 207 Pleasant St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0431