Dominik Konkolewicz named University Distinguished Professor
Konkolewicz’s efforts to combine his teaching, service, and scholarship 'serve as a model for ºÚÁÏÉçÇø faculty'
Dominik Konkolewicz, John W. Steube Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, started his independent career at ºÚÁÏÉçÇø in 2014 and "emerged as one of the leading polymer chemists of his generation,” according to a nominator.
“Dominik is an extraordinarily accomplished and vibrant member of the polymer community, with extensive research and service contributions that make him a star in the polymer field,” another nominator wrote.
His research in polymer science and soft materials bridges between traditional areas of organic chemistry, polymer science, and engineering. “This has allowed our group to make contributions to a range of different areas of science, seek funding from distinct areas, and learn a wide range of transferrable skills,” Konkolewicz wrote in his statement on teaching and research.
Since 2014, Konkolewicz and his research group have published 114 peer-reviewed publications, received over 11,000 citations to their papers, and raised over $4.7 million in external funding.
He currently is principal investigator (PI) or co-PI on five external grants that total more than $2.2 million.
Research, recognition
His research “has clear impacts on the reuse and degradation of polymers, which are ubiquitous in everyday life from packaging and adhesives, to durable materials,” Konkolewicz explained. Projects the Konkolewicz group works on use chemistry and materials principles to address ongoing challenges in sustainability, particularly the reprocessing and end of life for plastics; and in life sciences, such as developing systems that enhance or better characterize biomolecules.
He has been honored by national and international societies for his research. In 2024, Konkolewicz was elected a (ACS), “a highly competitive honor granted to only about 40 ACS members per year,” according to a nominator.
He received the 2023 ACS Macro Letters/Biomacromolecules/Macromolecules award, “a tremendous recognition for an early career scientist, which speaks volumes for the community’s appreciation of Dominik’s impacts,” a nominator wrote. And in 2022, he received the Royal Society of Chemistry’s (RSC) , a prestigious award for early-to-mid career leaders in polymer chemistry. “This elevates Dominik to a position held by a very small group of scientists who have won top recognition from both ACS and RSC for early-mid career polymer scientists,” wrote the nominator.
Service to the profession
Konkolewicz “is deeply invested not only in his own success but the growth and participation of a diverse community of next-generation scientists,” a nominator wrote.
He has rapidly become a leading figure in the polymer field, both in research as well as service, according to another nominator. He was recently recognized for his service with the 2024 Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE) Distinguished Service Award.
He currently serves as the PMSE vice-chair and leads the PMSE Webinars committee, where he coordinates with ACS Webinars to showcase techniques in polymer science. He is also involved in the Macromolecular Alliance for Community Resources.
Mentoring, Service to Miami
“It is clear that (Konkolewicz) is one of the most productive faculty members at ºÚÁÏÉçÇø, and his productivity is actually increasing as he has risen through the ranks and taken on more service duties,” a nominator wrote.
At Miami, he supports undergraduate ºÚÁÏÉçÇø scholar programs across STEM and serves as graduate director for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
He recently received the College of Arts and Science Outstanding First-Generation Advocate Award.
As graduate director in his department, Konkolewicz’ innovations in modernizing the graduate curriculum have “served as a roadmap for curriculum revision at other departments at Miami,” a nominator wrote.
He also led an overhaul of the department’s graduate candidacy exams, through which a pathway was developed for Ph.D. track ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs to also earn an on track non-thesis MS degree, “a valuable credential to our ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs,” Konkolewicz wrote.
Last year he was recognized with Miami’s 2024 Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate Instruction and Mentoring. “One aspect that I am particularly proud of is the diversity of career tracks that my ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs have pursued,” he said.
Teaching
Konkolewicz teaches graduate courses in topical fields such as the chemistry of polymers and plastics and use of light in chemical processes. He teaches undergraduate courses including organic chemistry and first-year research experience courses.
He is committed to sharing resources such as in class recordings — a valuable resource for ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs as they study. He creates content on his YouTube channel to address common questions that arise in class. This democratizes content, and provides value to ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs at Miami and beyond, considering that some videos have reached thousands of views, according to Konkolewicz.
In an effort to provide educational content to a broader community, he has led the partnership between the PMSE and ACS to provide free webinars covering modern topics on soft materials characterization.
His efforts to combine teaching, service, and scholarship serve as a model for ºÚÁÏÉçÇø faculty, according to a nominator.
“ I most strongly support Dominik’s application for selection as a University Distinguished Professor, due to his sweeping breadth of impressive research contributions and his tireless commitment to meaningful service and a rich educational experience.”
