Michael McGehee

Michael McGehee is a Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Colorado-Boulder (CU), where he leads research on perovskite solar cells and dynamic tinting windows. His work focuses on organic electronics, nanoscale material patterning, and renewable energy applications. He holds a B.A. in Physics from Princeton University (1994) and a Ph.D. in Materials from UC Santa Barbara (1999), where he studied under Nobel Laureate Alan Heeger. After postdoctoral research at UCSB with Galen Stucky and Brad Chmelka, he joined Stanford University in 2000 before moving to CU in 2018.

• Education:
• B.A. Physics, Princeton University, 1994
• Ph.D. Materials, UC Santa Barbara, 1999

His research emphasizes solar cell efficiency, cost reduction, and durability. Notable achievements include pioneering distributed feedback lasers during graduate work and securing a major Saudi Arabian grant to establish the Center for Advanced Molecular Photovoltaics, which contributed to King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). He has advised students who founded ten startups and serves as a technical advisor to companies like Next Energy and PLANT PV.

• Awards:
• 2008 Mohr Davidow Innovators Award
• 2007 MRS Outstanding Young Investigator Award

McGehee advocates for UCSB Materials students to engage deeply with the academic community and enjoy Santa Barbara’s environment. His career highlights include foundational discoveries in polymer lasers and collaborative ventures enabled by large-scale grants.