Geoffrey W. Coates

Class of 2025-26

University Professor
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
College of Arts and Sciences
Cornell University

Geoffrey W. Coates is renowned for his work in catalysis and polymer chemistry. His research has paved the way for the creation of environmentally-friendly plastics and contributed to the broader effort to address global environmental challenges through chemistry.

His research focuses on the development of new catalysts for the synthesis of sustainable polymeric materials, including high-performance biodegradable polymers, plastics derived from biorenewable feedstocks, materials that facilitate valorization of post-consumer plastics, and materials for practical energy storage and conversion applications.

He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University.

Coates is an influential figure in the scientific community, having received 10 high-level awards for his research and scholarship. Honors include the Eni Award, the National Academy of Sciences Award for the Industrial Application of Science, the American Chemical Society’s Gustavus John Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Public Interest, the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Newcomb Cleveland Prize and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. He serves as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Inventors and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He has authored three book chapters and more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, and holds 79 issued U.S. patents. He is currently an associate editor for “JACS,” the flagship journal of the American Chemical Society, and serves on the Board of Directors of Mitsubishi Chemicals and the Scientific Advisory Board of The Welch Foundation.

Coates will collaborate with faculty and students in the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering.