BS: Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley (1980) MS: Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley (1982) PhD: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1987) MD: Harvard Medical School (1988)

McFarland’s research activities are focused on coupling fundamental processes at surfaces with novel material systems to enable economically and environmentally sustainable production of chemicals and power in real industrial processes. In particular, his group is working on use of new catalysts and materials for decarbonizing fossil fuels and producing chemicals without carbon dioxide. His group is also investigating novel nuclear reactor designs to reduce cost and increase safety and allow the opportunity for coupling chemical production with power production. McFarland teams with colleagues using state-of-the-art theoretical methods to guide and interpret experimental work using advanced theory and to develop conceptual process models to evaluate the technoeconomic potential of new processes making use of the chemistry.