🎉 MONET partnered with the Center for the Mechanical Control of Chemistry at SACNAS 2025, engaging 1,000+ prospective researchers and strengthening pathways for underrepresented students in chemistry.

Collaboration makes impact possible.

We're thrilled to announce that MONET Senior Investigator Professor Jeremiah Johnson from MIT has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Carl S. Marvel Award for Creative Polymer Chemistry! 🏆

This achievement reflects the caliber of research excellence within MONET, Congratulations, Prof Johnson! 👏

PhD candidate Ana Paula built research connections across Switzerland through the Research University Alliance Program, visiting ETH Zurich, EPFL, EMPA, and the Adolphe Merkle Institute establishing postdoc pathways through MONET's International Lab Exchanges initiative.
Congrats Ana Paula! 🎓✨

MONET’s Vanessa Rosa, Ph.D., interviews composer David Ibbett on Science with Impact, highlighting a five-year collaboration with the Multiverse Concert Series that turns complex polymer concepts into immersive musical experiences and expands public engagement in science.

🎉 Congrats to Dr. Kelsie Wentz on being named a PMSE Future Faculty Scholar! 🌟 Her outstanding polymer research in the Klausen lab shines, highlighted by her ACS Fall Meeting presentation in Denver. We’re excited to celebrate her accomplishments and bright future ahead! 👏🔬

Huge congratulations to MONET’s Jolly Patro (Kalow Lab), awarded the 2025 NSF GRFP for her exciting work in polymer mechanochemistry! With three years of support—and a 2024 SOAR Runner-up Grant—she’s poised to make remarkable contributions to the field.

At the Cambridge Science Festival, 250+ participants discovered how “weaker” crosslinkers can strengthen polymers using our Musical Mechanophores kit. Families turned molecules into music, tested ideas hands-on, and left with a new appreciation for creative, accessible science.

Over 200 people joined us at the Christa McAuliffe Center for the Earthrise Concerto, where our “10^4 Rays of Hope” finale showed how small sustainability efforts spark real change. Inspired students launched a campus initiative—proof that art and science can ignite action.

The Art of Polymers concert series turns polymer research into immersive performance—featuring work on tougher networks from weaker cross-linkers, 1M+ reach, and 200+ live attendees. Grad students create year-long multimedia pieces, leading to our upcoming Polymer Symphony.

When science meets art, new understanding emerges. The Climate HOPE Concert gathered 300 attendees to explore climate research—from polymers to coral restoration—through music and visuals. The program later reached 800k+ on WBUR, expanding public access to these scientific insights.

Featured in Advanced Science News, this groundbreaking collaboration between MIT's MONET center and the Multiverse Concert Series has reached over 50,000 people, inspiring audiences to see the beauty in molecular structures and the hope in sustainable materials research.

🎵 When polymer chemistry becomes a symphony: 115 people at MIT experienced molecular networks transformed into music. Science met art, and both came alive through sound. This is what's possible when research becomes something you can feel. #ArtOfPolymers

🎭 971 people celebrated polymer science's 100th anniversary through Art of Polymers—a virtual concert that transformed molecular bonds into melodies. By making science accessible, we inspire the next generation to innovate sustainably.

Congratulations to Dr. Shu Wang on receiving the prestigious 2024 Henkel Award for Outstanding Graduate Research in Polymer Science and Engineering from PMSE!

What's the sound of a sustainability breakthrough?
100K+ WGBH radio listeners experienced it firsthand through Art of Polymers—where rubber recycling research became music. Composer David Ibbett transformed tensile test data into sound—literally making breakthroughs audible!

MONET partner universities are planning Year 5 outreach activities across six institutions. Northwestern and UIUC lead with two commitments each, while Duke, MIT, Morehouse, and UCSD have programs in development. Proactive planning ensures meaningful community engagement.

MONET Principal Investigator Jeremiah Johnson wins the 2025 Carl S. Marvel Award for Creative Polymer Chemistry! The ACS award recognizes accomplishments and innovation in polymer science. A symposium in his honor will be held at the Spring 2025 ACS National Meeting in San Diego.

Behind every successful URE student is a dedicated mentor. MONET's Summer 2025 program featured first-time graduate students and postdoc mentors who witnessed a fundamental transformation. Their students defined research problems, conducted critical modeling, and made publication-worthy progress.

How do we support the unique needs of graduate students across the country?

Our Signature Professional Development Experience (SPDE) offers four tracks: scientific breadth, leadership, innovation, and outreach. Learn more about the SPDE program here: bit.ly/3MkjvEg