He received an NSF Centers for Chemical Innovation (Phase I) grant of $1,800,000, entitled “NSF Center for 
Polymers for a Circular Economy (PCE)”. The NSF Center for Polymers for a Circular Economy (PCE) is supported by the Centers for Chemical Innovation (CCI) Program of the Division of Chemistry. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

He is also a new recipient of the Carolina Distinguished Professorship.