Alum Dr. Jonathan Conway Will Join the Princeton Faculty

Dr. Jonathan Conway
Dr. Jonathan Conway

On August 1, 2021, alum Dr. Jonathan M. Conway (Ph.D. ’17, M.S. ‘13) will join the faculty of Princeton University as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.

A native of Lancaster County, PA, Jonathan attended the University of Notre Dame for his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering. During his undergraduate career, he participated in several undergraduate research experiences with various professors and he had the opportunity to intern in the Upstream Manufacturing Science and Technology department at MedImmune, Inc. in Frederick, Maryland.

In his dissertation biography, Jonathan relates that his experiences with undergraduate research and industrial experience at MedImmune inspired him to pursue a graduate degree in chemical engineering.

As a graduate student, Jonathan was a member of Prof. Robert Kelly’s research group. His awards and honors at NCSU include the CBE James K. Ferrell Outstanding Ph.D. Graduate Award, an Excellence in Mentorship Award and a Recognition for Excellence in Laboratory Teaching, both from the NC State Graduate Student Association, and he was the recipient of a Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Fellowship from the NC State Biotechnology Program. His dissertation topic is “In Vitro and In Vivo Analyses of the Role of Multi-Domain Glycoside Hydrolases from Extremely Thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor Species in the Degradation of Plant Biomass.”

Prior to joining the Princeton faculty, Jonathan was a postdoctoral research associate in the laboratory of Dr. Jeffery Dangl at UNC-Chapel Hill. His research focus at UNC was “engineering the plant root microbiome to investigate and modify root colonization, hormone homeostasis, and plant immune system activation for the improvement of plant growth, health, and productivity.”

At Princeton, his research will focus on defining and engineering plant-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions at plant-microbe interfaces.

Congratulations to Dr. Jonathan Conway for your past and future academic successes!