Episode 28:Dr. Ben McDonald
Dr. Ben McDonald is a postdoctoral scholar in the Swager group at MIT, utilizing synthetic chemistry to develop new functional organic materials for chemical-warfare agent responsive surfaces and dynamic biphasic emulsions. Dr. McDonald earned his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina Asheville in 2012 and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Northwestern University in 2018. There, as a NIH predoctoral fellow he explored the total synthesis of polyphenol natural products and the development of new chemical methods for small molecule synthesis. Ben is an aspiring academic who beyond his scientific work, seeks to normalize intellectual inquiry in young students of color. In his free time, he enjoys biking, rock climbing, and woodworking.