Peter Winegar

Peter Winegar, PhD, has dedicated his life to an academic career in chemistry. After graduating from Michigan Tech in 2017 with his BS in Chemistry, Winegar went on to graduate school at Northwestern University where he received his PhD in Chemistry in 2022. He is currently an NIH NRSA F32 postdoctoral fellow at the University of California at Berkeley.

Winegar chose Michigan Tech for his undergraduate studies because he was looking for a university that paired excellent STEM instruction with an exciting student life. Michigan Tech was the perfect fit for him because he could participate in challenging classes, and then immediately head to ski at Mont Ripley or cross-country ski on the Tech Trails. Each February, these after class activities included building snow sculptures at Winter Carnival.

Outside of academics, Winegar’s Michigan Tech memories include paddling a canoe under the Portage Lake Lift Bridge with the Concrete Canoe team and traveling through Europe while studying abroad in Prague. Winegar also remembers rooting for the Huskies hockey, basketball, volleyball, and football teams while playing trumpet in the Huskies Pep Band.

The mentors that Winegar found at Michigan Tech were very impactful on his life, and some of those relationships are still active today. He notes that his professors, Loredana Valenzano, Julia King, Sarah Green, and Tess Alhborn provided critical feedback and helped him find research opportunities across the country.

“At Michigan Tech, I learned to ask for help and cultivate mentorships,” Winegar said. “I am extremely thankful for the mentorship that I received at Michigan Tech. In addition to their teaching and research responsibilities, the faculty were champions of my academic career. Inspired by their example, I aspire to be a mentor to the next generation of scientists and engineers.”

In Winegar’s effort to pursue his academic research, he has received several notable achievements. He has been a researcher at many world-class universities and institutes across the country and world, including, but not limited to: Michigan Tech, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Case Western Reserve University, Paul Drude Institute, Northwestern University, and the University of California at Berkeley. Additionally, Winegar has authored 12 publications and is an inventor on two patent applications.

Looking forward, Winegar is eager to teach and study chemistry as a professor at a research-intensive university, with aspirations to lead a laboratory that researches at the interface of chemistry, biomaterials, and synthetic biology.

“My independent research will engineer microorganisms to achieve the scalable and sustainable production of molecules and materials,” Winegar said. “The postdoctoral-to-faculty transition is intimidating, but I am excited to take on this challenge with the lessons I learned from Michigan Tech.”

Winegar encourages current students to set ambitious goals and celebrate when they are achieved, build a network of friends and acquaintances in their field, and identify mentors and ask for help. 

In recognition of his notable achievements at a young age, Winegar will receive Michigan Tech’s Outstanding Young Alumni award in August 2025.

Update May 2025