Terrence J. Collins PhD, Hon FRSNZ

Prof. Collins is a Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry and the Director of the Institute for Green Science (IGS) at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, and is a citizen of both New Zealand and the United States.

He holds numerous academic and public awards. He has published over 200 articles and is the lead inventor on many patents. He is the lead developer and inventor of TAML and NewTAML activators, small-molecule, functional replicas of the peroxidase enzymes that mimic and outperform the enzymes to transform the field of bioinspired oxidation catalysis. The Collins iterative design protocol allows health, environmental and fairness performances to participate at design decision-gate stature, while advancing technical and cost performances in pursuit of sustainable chemistry. NewTAMLs enable a broad new field of catalysis science that is mated to water treatment science called, “Sustainable Ultra-dilute Oxidation Catalysis” (SUDOC).

Prof. Collins taught the first course in Green Chemistry and has been developing it iteratively since 1992. He sees three existential threats to humanity coming today from the chemical and allied enterprises: the increasing carbonization of the economy, nuclear mishap or misadventure, and the low dose adverse effects of everyday-everywhere chemicals. The IGS is focused primarily on developing solutions for the last fast-acting threat.