Michael Strauss

Michael Strauss is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, joining in 2025. He holds a B.S. in Biochemistry from Winona State University (2016), a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Northwestern University (2021), and completed postdoctoral research at MIT (2022–2025). His research focuses on synthetic methods development and polymer science, with a goal of achieving unprecedented control over polymer microstructure to engineer emergent material properties. Key areas include catalyst design, environmental remediation of plastic waste, and application-based materials design.

His research group (SRG) emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, training students in synthetic, organometallic, physical organic, polymer, and materials chemistry. Strauss has received prestigious awards, including the NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Fellowship and NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Current projects aim to develop novel synthetic tools for polymer synthesis and functionalization, with applications in energy storage, separation science, and optoelectronics.

• Education:
  • B.S., Winona State University (2016)
  • Ph.D., Northwestern University (2021)
  • Postdoc, MIT (2022–2025)
• Awards:
  • National Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
  • Edmund W. Gelewitz Award
• Labs/Teams: Strauss Research Group (SRG), focusing on 2D polymers and catalytic methodologies.

Future work includes expanding applications of self-assembled nanotubes and exploring sustainable polymer design strategies.