Forrest E. Michael

Forrest E. Michael is a Professor and Associate Chair, Undergraduate Education in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Washington (College of Arts & Sciences). His research focuses on developing catalytic reactions for C-N bond formation using alkene and alkyne starting materials, alongside fundamental studies of organometallic and organic mechanisms.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Harvard University, 2001
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of California, Berkeley (with Prof. Robert Bergman), 2001–2004

Research Interests: His work bridges catalysis and organic chemistry, emphasizing practical reaction design and mechanistic understanding. Key areas include enantioselective catalysis, zirconium-based catalysts for alkene functionalization, and the application of organometallic principles to solve synthetic challenges.

Advising & Grants: He is actively accepting new graduate students and oversees the Michael research group’s academic and experimental activities. Specific grants or funding sources are not detailed in this text.

Labs & Teams: The Michael group conducts research in the Department of Chemistry’s facilities, including access to NMR, Mass Spectrometry, and X-ray Crystallography resources. His team collaborates on projects related to catalytic reaction development and mechanistic studies.