Scientist Emeritus, Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering

Dr. Collin P. Ward is an Associate Scientist in the Department of Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. His group characterizes how fast organic molecules, like those in natural organic matter, crude oil, and plastics, are transformed in the environment. A core element of his scientific approach is to understand the fundamental controls of transformation reactions and their timescales. This opens the door to make predictions of how important these reactions will be in the future and to design new materials that are simultaneously useful to consumers and demonstrably degrade if leaked into the environment. He also builds new instruments and methods that make science cheaper, faster, and more accessible. He received the 2024 James J. Morgan Environmental Science & Technology Early Career Award from the American Chemical Society. He earned a BS and MS in Environmental Sciences from The Ohio State University and a PhD in Earth and Environmental Sciences from the University of Michigan.

See Collin Ward's Lab website