Cutting-edge Innovation in Polymer and Materials Science & Engineering

The extended PSE community mourns the loss of Frank Erwin Karasz, Silvio O. Conte Professor Emeritus of Polymer Science and Engineering, who died in Amherst on June 21, 2026. A pioneering polymer scientist and influential member of the PSE community for nearly six decades, Karasz helped shape the department during its formative years and made lasting contributions to polymer science through his research, scholarship, collaborations, and mentorship. He remained an active and familiar presence in PSE long after his formal retirement in 2004. Read more about the life and legacy of Professor Frank Erwin Karasz.