Julian Cooper

Julian Cooper is an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Chemistry, focusing on developing novel chemical reactivity in materials at the intersection of chemistry, materials science, and mechanics. His research addresses global challenges in sustainability, energy storage, and materials performance through interdisciplinary approaches.

• Education: B.S. in Chemistry from Rice University (2014), Ph.D. in Chemistry from MIT (2019), Beckman Institute Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2019-2024).
• Research Interests: Combines chemistry and mechanics to create reprocessable thermosets, optimize polymerization reactions, and explore scalable solutions for material deconstruction.
• Scientific Awards: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship recipient.
• Students: Advises graduate student Katie Chism and undergraduate Ziang Zhao.

The Cooper Group's recent publications focus on polymerization mechanisms, sustainable materials, and enzyme inhibition. Their work emphasizes practical applications in chemical recycling, predictive modeling for thermosets, and catalytic innovations. The lab actively recruits students and has established infrastructure with specialized glassware and instruments, supported by UW-Madison's master glassblower Tracy Drier.