Thomas Garrison

Thomas Garrison is an assistant research professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.  His interdisciplinary research on sustainable and functional polymers combines principles from organic chemistry, materials science, and polymer engineering to develop innovative materials. Garrison’s work spans a range of applications, including UV-resistant polyurethane coatings, heavy metal remediation, and environmental monitoring.

Garrison earned his BS in biochemistry and genetics from Texas A&M University (2002), followed by a BS (2005) and MS (2007) in biological engineering from the University of Arkansas. He received his PhD in chemistry from Iowa State University in 2013. From 2013 to 2015, he conducted postdoctoral research at Washington State University’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. Prior to joining his current role, Garrison served as an assistant professor of chemistry at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, where he contributed to teaching and research at one of the Middle East’s leading institutions.

Garrison has received several academic honors, including a National Science Foundation Graduate STEM Fellowship in K-12 Education (2012–2013) and induction into the Arkansas Academy of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Arkansas in 2017.