Christopher Bowman

Class of 2026-27

Distinguished Professor, James and Catherine Patten Endowed Chair
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Director of the Materials Science and Engineering Program
College of Engineering and Applied Science
University of Colorado Boulder; Founder and Co-Director of the Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for the Fundamentals and Applications of Photopolymerizations

Christopher Bowman is a pioneer in the development of new materials and photopolymerization mechanisms, working to create polymeric materials with distinctive properties and characteristics.

Bowman and his team created covalent adaptable networks (CANs) by introducing dynamic covalent chemistry into polymer networks, creating a new class of polymer materials. CANs represent a third class of polymer materials and have become one of the most studied areas in the field of polymer networks, with the potential to address polymer sustainability issues, including the fate of microplastics.

He received his Ph.D. from Purdue University.

Bowman is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Inventors. He was selected as a fellow of the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers and the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering.

His honors include the American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research Distinguished Scientist Award; the Roy W. Tess Award in Coatings from the American Chemical Society’s Division of Polymeric Materials, Science and Engineering; the R.H. Wilhelm Award in Chemical Reaction Engineering from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers; and the Mark Scholar Award from the American Chemical Society’s Division of Polymer Chemistry.

He has authored 496 peer-reviewed articles and holds 37 patents. He serves as an associate editor for Polymer Chemistry.

Bowman will collaborate with faculty and students in the College of Engineering.