MIT Names Matthew D. Shoulders New Chemistry Department Head
Matthew D. Shoulders, a renowned scholar, has been appointed as the new head of the MIT Department of Chemistry, effective January 16, 2026. He succeeds Troy Van Voorhis, who has led the department since October 2019.
Shoulders brings a wealth of experience to his new role. He graduated summa cum laude from Virginia Tech in 2004 and earned a PhD in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 2009. His research interests are diverse, spanning proteostasis, extracellular matrix biology, virology, evolution, and synthetic biology.
Before his appointment, Shoulders founded the MIT Homeschool Internship Program for Science and Technology. He has also served on various MIT committees, including the Committee on Graduate Programs and the Committee on Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response. Currently, he leads a food security project through the Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS) to improve photosynthesis efficiency in agriculture. The specifics of this project's funding remain unclear.
Shoulders is the Class of 1942 Professor of Chemistry, a MacVicar Faculty Fellow, and an associate member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. He has taught multiple classes for Course V, including 5.54 and 5.111, and has developed online tools for undergraduate chemistry courses.
Matthew D. Shoulders takes over as the head of the MIT Department of Chemistry, bringing a strong academic background and diverse research interests. His experience in teaching and committee work, along with his innovative research, makes him a promising leader for the department. His work on improving photosynthesis efficiency in agriculture through the J-WAFS lab is expected to continue, with potential implications for food security.
