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Schwartz

Thomas J. Schwartz, Ph.D., P.E.

thomas.schwartz@maine.edu

Office: 313 Jenness Hall

Phone: 207-581-2294

Fax: 207-581-2323

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Maine PE License No. 18148

Prof. Schwartz earned BS degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biological Engineering from the University of Maine and a PhD at University of Wisconsin under the supervision of Prof. James Dumesic.  Schwartz joined the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Maine in 2015 as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2021.  He became the Associate Director of the Forest Bioproducts Research Institute in 2023.  His research group seeks to develop a molecular-level understanding of processes that occur on catalytic surfaces used for the conversion of carbon-based feedstocks (e.g., biomass, petroleum, natural gas, waste polymers) to chemicals and fuels.  He is active in the ACS Division of Catalysis Science & Technology (serving as the Spring Program Chair from 2021-2023), the AIChE Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division, and the North American Catalysis Society (serving as one of the Technical Program Chairs for the NAM28 meeting in 2023).  He is also a member of the inaugural Early Career Editorial Board for Journal of Catalysis.  Schwartz received an ACS PRF Doctoral New Investigator award in 2016, an NSF EPSCoR RII Fellowship in 2020, and the NSF CAREER Award in 2021.  He has been honored by the University of Maine with the College of Engineering Early Career Research Award in 2018 and the Pulp and Paper Foundation’s Joseph M. Genco Award in 2020. 

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Schwartz at a Glance

  • Assoc. Professor of Chemical Engineering (2021-present), University of Maine

  • Assoc. Director, Forest Bioproducts Research Institute (2023-present), University of Maine

  • Asst. Professor of Chemical Engineering (2015-2021), University of Maine
  • Ph.D. Chemical Engineering (2015), University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • B.S. Chemical Engineering (2010), University of Maine
  • B.S. Biological Engineering (2010), University of Maine

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Awards

  • NSF CAREER Award (2021)

  • Joseph M. Genco Award, UMaine Pulp and Paper Foundation (2020)

  • NSF EPSCoR RII Fellowship (2020)

  • UMaine System Faculty Fellow (2019)

  • ​Early Career Research Award, University of Maine College of Engineering (2018)

  • ACS Petroleum Research Fund Doctoral New Investigator (2016)

  • Roland A. Ragatz Laboratory Teaching Assistant Award, University of Wisconsin (2013)

  • NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2010)

  • Hovey Award, University of Maine (2010)

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Teaching

  • CHE 200 Fundamentals of Process Engineering (MEB)

  • CHE 363 Chemical and Biological Engineering Laboratory II

  • CHE 368 Kinetics and Reactor Design

  • CHE 561 Advanced Chemical Engineering Kinetics

  • CHE 498/598 Special Topics: Principles of Heterogeneous Catalysis

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Service to the University, Profession, and Community

  • Graduate Coordinator, Chemical & Biomedical Engeineering (2021-present)

  • UMaine Graduate Board (2023-present, Executive Committee 2023-present)

  • Early Career Editorial Board, Journal of Catalysis (2023-present)

  • Chair, New England Catalysis Society (2023-present, previously vice chair and secretary)

  • Technical Program Co-Chair, NAM28 (2022-2023)

  • Programming Chair, ACS CATL Division (2021-2023)

  • Trustee, Orono-Veazie Water District (2021-present)

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