Travis Williams

Travis Williams is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Southern California (USC), affiliated with the Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute and the Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. from Stanford University (2005), a B.S. from California Institute of Technology (1998), and NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship at Caltech (2005-2007). He progressed through USC's academic ranks from Assistant Professor (2007) to full Professor (2018).

Williams' research focuses on sustainable chemistry solutions, including:

• Catalysis for hydrogen storage and energy applications
• Chemical recycling of polymers and composites
• Development of green chemical processes
• Upcycling plastic waste into value-added products
• CO2 conversion technologies

His work bridges fundamental chemistry with environmental sustainability.

His publication record demonstrates strong focus on catalytic processes (40%), materials recycling (30%), energy applications (20%), and biomedical interfaces (10%), with recent emphasis on plastic upcycling and biocatalytic methods.

Major Honors

• National Academy of Inventors Senior Member (2024)
• Elbert K. Fretwell Outstanding Educator Award (2022)
• Breakthrough Energy Ventures Climate Change Prize (2020)
• NSF CAREER Award and BRITE Award
• Multiple USC commercialization and sustainability prizes

Williams has secured significant research funding including:

• $1.99M NOAA grant for marine debris conversion (2024)
• $1M DOE project on chemical hydrogen storage (2024)
• NSF awards for composite remanufacturing ($600K) and sustainable plastics education ($500K)

He holds 10 patents covering catalysts for dehydrogenation, composite recycling, and chemical processes.

He leads multidisciplinary teams on NSF/DOE projects and collaborates with the Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute, focusing on sustainable chemistry innovations.