John Warner

University of Massachusetts Lowell | Wilmington, MA | 2004

John Warner Portrait Photo

The official biography below was current at the time of the award. Awardees may choose to provide their latest biographical information on their profile page.

Dr. John Warner is recognized for his mentoring work in Chemistry. He has a record of accomplishment in recruiting, retaining, and graduating students from underrepresented populations, especially women (60 percent) and minorities (60 percent). 

Warner also is the recipient of the 2014 Perkin Medal, widely acknowledged as the highest honor in American Industrial Chemistry. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from UMass Boston, and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Princeton University. After working at the Polaroid Corporation for nearly a decade, he then served as a tenured full professor at UMass Boston and Lowell (Chemistry and Plastics Engineering). In 2007, he founded the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry, LLC (A research organization developing green chemistry technologies) where he serves as President and Chief Technology Officer, and Beyond Benign (a non-profit dedicated to sustainability and green chemistry education). He is one of the founders of the field of Green Chemistry, co-authoring the defining text Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice with Paul Anastas. He has published over 250 patents, papers, and books. His recent work in the fields of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, solar energy and construction and paving materials are examples of how green chemistry principles can be immediately incorporated into commercially relevant applications.