Randall Goldsmith

Randall Goldsmith is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, leading an interdisciplinary research group that develops and applies single-molecule spectroscopy techniques to address fundamental questions in chemistry, materials science, and biophysics. His work reveals molecular heterogeneity and unsynchronized dynamics obscured in ensemble measurements, providing profound insights into chemical systems.

His educational background includes:

• B.A. (2002) from Cornell University
• Ph.D. (2007) from Northwestern University
• Postdoctoral Research at Stanford University

Professor Goldsmith's research program spans multiple interconnected areas:

• Homogeneous Catalysis: Observing individual catalysts to uncover dynamic heterogeneity and establish structure-behavior relationships for greener catalyst design
• Organic Photovoltaics: Developing nanophotonic tools to characterize energy landscapes in organic electronic materials
• Protein Dynamics: Studying folding and activity of proteins in crowded environments using anti-Brownian electrokinetic traps
• Photonics: Creating microresonator technologies for single-molecule detection without surface immobilization
• Topological Photonics: Fabricating photonic crystals to enhance molecular spectroscopy and mediate energy transfer

Analysis of recent publications shows consistent advancement in label-free detection methods, solution-phase single-molecule observation, and applications to catalytic mechanisms, energy materials, and neurodegenerative disease-related proteins. The work demonstrates increasing technical sophistication while maintaining focus on socially relevant problems.

Professor Goldsmith has successfully mentored numerous PhD students since 2016, with graduates including Kevin Heylman, James Ng, Kasie Knapper, David White, Levi Hogan, and others through 2025. His current research team includes multiple postdoctoral researchers, graduate students across chemistry and biophysics programs, and undergraduate researchers collaborating on various instrumentation and application projects.

The Goldsmith Group maintains state-of-the-art facilities for:

• Anti-Brownian electrokinetic (ABEL) trapping for solution-phase protein studies
• Microtoroid and microbubble optical resonators for label-free detection
• Advanced microfluidic platforms for controlled molecular environments
• Topological photonic crystal fabrication using additive manufacturing