Nicholas E. Jackson

Professor Nicholas E. Jackson is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. He holds the Lincoln Excellence for Assistant Professors Scholar distinction. His research focuses on soft materials, quantum mechanics, and machine learning, particularly in developing coarse-grained electronic structure methods and sustainable polymer design.

Education: B.A. in Physics from Wesleyan University (2011), Ph.D. in Chemistry from Northwestern University (2016). Postdoctoral work as a Named Fellow and Assistant Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory (2016–2021). Joined the University of Illinois faculty in 2021.

Research interests include conjugated materials theory, electronic structure predictions, and interdisciplinary applications of machine learning in materials science. His work bridges computational chemistry, materials engineering, and AI, addressing challenges in renewable energy and sustainable materials.

Recent recognition: 2025 Kavli Foundation Emerging Leader in Chemistry Award for innovative research in young scientists under 40. His contributions to AI-driven materials design and thermoset fracture modeling have been highlighted in peer-reviewed journals.

Advances include novel approaches to polymer reactivity prediction, molecular-level understanding of conjugated polymers, and machine learning workflows for molten salt mixtures. His lab collaborates across disciplines to advance soft materials design and computational tools for chemistry.