| Editorial leads: | Bethany Halford and Prachi Patel |
| Project managers: | Jonathan Forney and Kim Habicht |
| Editors: | Bethany Halford, Prachi Patel, Mark Peplow, and Michael Torrice |
| Writers: | Brianna Barbu, Matt Blois, Sarah Braner, Bethany Halford, Sam Lemonick, Laurel Oldach, Prachi Patel, Mark Peplow, Fionna Samuels, and Michael Torrice |
| Creative director: | Robert Bryson |
| Lead Art director: | William A. Ludwig |
| Art directors: | Yang H. Ku and Madeline Monroe |
| UI/UX director: | Kay Youn |
| Web producers: | Luis A. Carrillo, Ty A. Finocchiaro, Jennifer Muller, and Seamus Murphy |
| Copyeditors: | Michele Arboit, Sabrina J. Ashwell, and Bran Vickers |
| Production editors: | Jonathan Forney, Kim Habicht, David Padgham, Raadhia Patwary, Sydney Smith, and Marsha-Ann Watson |
| Engagement editors: | Liam Conlon, Leeann Kirchner, and Marianna Limas |
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Illustration by Chris Gash
This year’s chemistry movers and shakers are not afraid of challenges.
May 23, 2025
A version of this story appeared in Volume 103, Issue 14
Every year since 2015, C&EN has introduced readers to a dozen early-career scientists who use their chemistry know-how to make a real-world impact. This year’s Talented 12 cohort embodies the same smarts, creativity, and grit. These scientists are advancing practical solutions for plastics recycling and sustainable agriculture. They are developing a deeper understanding of protein function, atmospheric aerosols, and the fate of persistent pollutants. And that’s just a start.
There are many brilliant young chemists and chemical engineers out there. C&EN’s readers proposed almost 370 individuals for this year’s Talented 12 class. Whittling the impressive list of nominees down to only a dozen took a lot of deliberation. We are excited to present to you these rising stars. We hope you’ll be just as impressed as we are by their bold vision and their dedication to solving important problems.
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Stats & Facts
35
Average age
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Stats & Facts
Here are locations our T12 class of 2025 have called home then and now
Maps displaying the hometowns and current towns of the Talented 12 class of 2025. Herdeline Ardoña, hometown: Valenzuela, Philippines, and current town: Irvine, California; Alison Bain, hometowns: Beamsville, Ontario, and current town: Corvallis, Oregon; Sascha Feldmann, hometown: Leer, Germany, and current town: Lausanne, Switzerland; Ariel Furst, hometown: Saint Louis, Missouri, and current town: Cambridge, Massachusetts; Ankur Gupta, hometowns: Delhi, India, and current town: Boulder, Colorado; Shira Joudan, hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba, and current town: Edmonton, Alberta; Kat Knauer, hometown: Jacksonville, Florida, and current town: Golden, Colorado; Denise Okafor, hometown: Nashville, Tennessee and Lagos, Nigeria, and current town: State College, Pennsylvania; Nick Riley, hometown: Louisville, Kentucky, and current town: Seattle, Washington; Tejas Shah, hometown: Piscataway, New Jersey, and current town: Indianapolis, Indiana; Dayne Swearer, hometown: Coatesville, Pennsylvania, and current town: Evanston, Illinois; Pilanda Watkins-Curry, hometown: Hampton, Virginia, and current town: Richmond, Virginia.
Stats & Facts
401
Number of peer-reviewed papers published
Stats & Facts
8
Number of languages spoken
English, French, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Igbo, Italian, and Tagalog
Stats & Facts
Bar graph showing which of these superpowers the Talented 12 class of 2025 would like to have. 9 say, “The ability to stop time”; 3 say, “The power to fly"; 0 say, “Super strength.”
Which one of these superpowers would you want? (number of responses)
Stats & Facts
What subject—that isn't your research area—could you give a talk about for 5 min with no preparation?
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Bar graph showing which of these pocket-sized mythical creatures the Talented 12 class of 2025 would carry around. 5 say, “A leprechaun. Gold-lined pockets would help my research.”; 4 say, “A dragon. Sometimes I need to light a fire."; 3 say, “A unicorn. The ability to purify water would come in handy.”
Which of these pocket-sized mythical creatures would you carry around with you? (number of responses)
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Contributors
Profiles
C&EN’s 2025 Talented 12
This year’s chemistry movers and shakers are not afraid of challenges
by Prachi Patel , Bethany Halford
May 26, 2025
| A version of this story appeared in
Volume 103, Issue 14
Every year since 2015, C&EN has introduced readers to a dozen early-career scientists who use their chemistry know-how to make a real-world impact. This year’s Talented 12 cohort embodies the same smarts, creativity, and grit. These scientists are advancing practical solutions for plastics recycling and sustainable agriculture. They are developing a deeper understanding of protein function, atmospheric aerosols, and the fate of persistent pollutants. And that’s just a start.
Talented 12 contributors
Editorial leads: Bethany Halford and Prachi Patel
Project managers: Jonathan Forney and Kim Habicht
Editors: Bethany Halford, Prachi Patel, Mark Peplow, and Michael Torrice
Writers: Brianna Barbu, Matt Blois, Sarah Braner, Bethany Halford, Sam Lemonick, Laurel Oldach, Prachi Patel, Mark Peplow, Fionna Samuels, and Michael Torrice
Creative Director: Robert Bryson
Lead art director: William A. Ludwig
Art directors: Yang H. Ku and Madeline Monroe
UI/UX director: Kay Youn
Web producers: Luis A. Carillo, Ty A. Finnochiaro, Jennifer Muller, and Seamus Murphy
Copyeditors: Michele Arboit, Sabrina Ashwell, and Bran Vickers
Production editors: Jonathan Forney, Kim Habicht, David Padgham, Raadhia Patwary, Sydney Smith, and Marsha-Ann Watson
Copyeditors: Liam Conlon, Leeann Kirchner, and Marianna Limas
There are many brilliant young chemists and chemical engineers out there. C&EN’s readers proposed almost 370 individuals for this year’s Talented 12 class. Whittling the impressive list of nominees down to only a dozen took a lot of deliberation. We are excited to present to you these rising stars. We hope you’ll be just as impressed as we are by their bold vision and their dedication to solving important problems.
Chemical & Engineering News
ISSN 0009-2347
Copyright © 2025 American Chemical Society
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