Marcus Foston

Marcus Foston is an Associate Professor and Director of Diversity Initiatives in the Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis’s McKelvey School of Engineering. His research focuses on sustainable biomass conversion, mechanobiology, and bio-inspired materials. He holds a PhD (2008) and BS (2003) in Polymer Chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Education:

• PhD in Polymer Chemistry, Georgia Tech, 2008
• BS in Chemical Engineering, Georgia Tech, 2003

Research Interests: Dr. Foston develops innovative methods to convert biomass and plastic waste into valuable products. Key areas include:

• Liquid-phase heterogeneous catalysis for biomass-to-chemicals
• Integration of catalytic biomass depolymerization with microbial systems
• Mechanical stimulus response in plant cells

He leads research in the NSF-funded Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, advancing interdisciplinary training in force-driven plant cell wall engineering.

Awards:

• 2025 Gephardt Institute Ethic of Service Award

Advising/Grants: While specific grant details are not listed, his affiliations with NSF STC and DOE BioEnergy Science Center indicate substantial research funding. No formal advisee list is provided in the text.

Labs & Teams: Leads the Foston Lab (Brauer Hall 1049) and collaborates with the Synthetic Biology Manufacturing of Advanced Materials Research Center (SMARC), Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization, and the Institute of Materials Science & Engineering.