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University of Florida

UF chemist Austin Evans receives federal award to advance next-generation materials


  • The University of Florida researcher has earned the federal government’s highest honor for early-career scientists and engineers.
  • Evans’ research aims to develop advanced materials for space-based electronics, energy technologies and other emerging technologies.
  • The UF chemistry professor’s work builds on national recognition, including an NSF CAREER Award and Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award.

University of Florida chemist Austin Evans, Ph.D., has been selected for a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), which is the highest honor the U.S. government gives to early-career scientists and engineers.

The five-year award from the U.S. Department of Defense will support Evans’ research on next-generation polymeric materials with potential applications in electronics, space and other energy implications.

“These materials could enable the deployment of space-based electronics, which is currently limited by the materials we build,” Evans said. “To realize these future technologies, we need to advance polymer science.”

The PECASE Award is a highly competitive federal recognition of outstanding scientists. Established in 1996, the award recognizes researchers whose work demonstrates exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of science and engineering.

“This is an extraordinary recognition of Austin’s research and its potential to shape the future of materials science,” said Kevin Ingersent, Ph.D., interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “His work demonstrates how fundamental discoveries in chemistry can open the door to technologies with far-reaching impact.”

Evans joined UF’s Department of Chemistry in 2022. His research has already earned national recognition, including an NSF CAREER Award and the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award for innovation and leadership in education.

“The focus that the DOD brings to practical, deployable technology truly resonates with me,” Evans said. “The supported research has valuable, practical implications not only to create a safe environment for our service members, but it is also relevant to other facets of life as well.”