Garrick Parsons

Garrick Parsons is an American materials scientist and engineer recognized for his pioneering work in the synthesis of advanced nanomaterials and their application in next-generation energy technologies. His research has significantly advanced the understanding and performance of quantum dot-based devices and perovskite solar cells. Parsons has held prominent research positions at leading institutions including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Early life and education

Parsons developed an early interest in chemistry and physics while growing up in Pasadena, California. He pursued his undergraduate studies in chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, where he conducted research under the guidance of Professor Harry Atwater on thin-film photovoltaics. For his doctoral work, Parsons attended Stanford University, earning a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering. His dissertation, completed in the laboratory of Professor Yi Cui, focused on novel synthesis routes for colloidal nanocrystals and was supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

Career

Following his Ph.D., Parsons was awarded a prestigious Miller Research Fellowship to conduct postdoctoral work at the University of California, Berkeley, collaborating with Professor Paul Alivisatos at the Molecular Foundry. He subsequently joined the scientific staff at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a staff scientist within the Materials Sciences Division. In 2015, Parsons was appointed as an associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research group at MIT, affiliated with the MIT.nano facility, focuses on the intersection of nanofabrication, optoelectronics, and renewable energy.

Research and contributions

Parsons's research has made substantial contributions to the field of solution-processed electronics. He developed a widely adopted non-invasive spectroscopic technique for monitoring the surface chemistry of semiconductor nanocrystals in real-time, which was published in the journal Science. His group's work on lead halide perovskite materials has provided critical insights into ion migration and degradation mechanisms, leading to more stable solar cell architectures. Furthermore, Parsons pioneered a scalable chemical vapor deposition method for producing uniform two-dimensional materials like molybdenum disulfide for flexible electronic device applications. This body of work has been instrumental for companies like Oxford PV and Nanoco Group in developing commercial technologies.

Awards and honors

Parsons's research has been recognized with several notable awards. He is a recipient of the Materials Research Society's MRS Medal for his work on nanomaterial interfaces. He has also received the Department of Energy's DOE Early Career Award and the Office of Naval Research's Young Investigator Program award. Parsons was named a Sloan Research Fellow by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. His invited lectures include the American Chemical Society's Kavli Foundation Emerging Leader in Chemistry Lecture and a plenary talk at the International Conference on Perovskite Solar Cells and Optoelectronics.

Personal life

Parsons is married to Dr. Elena Vance, a biomedical researcher at the Broad Institute. He is an avid mountaineer and has summited major peaks in the North Cascades and the Alaska Range. Parsons also serves on the advisory board for the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science and volunteers with Science Club for Girls in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Category:American materials scientists Category:21st-century American engineers Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty