BioPACIFIC MIP Fellow Elizabeth Murphy Wins 2025 Henkel Award
for Outstanding Graduate Research in Polymer Science & Engineering
BioPACIFIC MIP is proud to congratulate Fellow Elizabeth Murphy on receiving the 2025 Henkel Award for Outstanding Graduate Research in Polymer Science & Engineering. This prestigious award, administered by the PMSE and POLY divisions of the American Chemical Society (ACS), recognizes exceptional contributions by a graduate student or recent Ph.D. graduate in polymer research.
About Elizabeth Murphy & Her Research
Elizabeth Murphy, a BioPACIFIC MIP Fellow, will receive her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) in March 2025, under the co-advisement of Professors Craig Hawker and Christopher Bates. Her graduate research focuses on developing a versatile strategy for the accelerated discovery of block copolymers, combining controlled polymerization, chromatographic separation, laboratory automation, and data-driven analysis.
As a BioPACIFIC MIP Fellow, Elizabeth has been instrumental in collaborating with external users and providing valuable expertise to support a wide range of projects at BioPACIFIC MIP. She has actively worked alongside researchers, sharing her deep knowledge of polymer synthesis and characterization, and helping to advance projects beyond her own dissertation research. Her willingness to engage with users, troubleshoot challenges, and contribute to high-impact collaborations has made her an invaluable member of the BioPACIFIC MIP community.
Elizabeth’s research excellence has been recognized with multiple awards, including the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and the Edward J. Kramer Prize in Materials. Beyond research, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to professional development and outreach, serving as co-president of Chemistry Professional Development and an outreach ambassador at UCSB’s Materials Research Laboratory.
In the next phase of her career, Elizabeth will be joining The Dow Chemical Company in Collegeville, PA, as a Senior Research Specialist in the Formulation, Automation, and Materials Science team.
About the Henkel Award
The Henkel Award for Outstanding Graduate Research in Polymer Science & Engineering was established to recognize a Ph.D. student or recent graduate from a U.S. or Canadian university for an outstanding doctoral thesis in polymer research. Sponsored by Henkel Corporation since 2014, the award has a distinguished history with previous sponsorships from Unilever (1991-2003), National Starch (2006-2008), and AzkoNobel (2008-2013).
The award includes a plaque, a $2,000 honorarium, and travel support to attend the 2025 ACS Fall National Meeting in Washington, DC, where Elizabeth will be honored in a special session of the POLY Division.
BioPACIFIC MIP is thrilled to see one of our fellows recognized for groundbreaking contributions to polymer science and looks forward to celebrating Elizabeth Murphy’s achievements at the ACS Fall National Meeting!
Relevant Links
https://polyacs.org/henkel-award-for-outstanding-graduate-student/
