Dr. Jason Locklin obtained his BS from Millsaps College and PhD from the University of Houston. Jason then went on as a Director of Central Intelligence Postdoctoral Scholar at Stanford University where he worked with Dr. Zhenan Bao in the area of flexible electronics. Locklin joined the University of Georgia in the Department of Chemistry and the College of Engineering in 2007 and was promoted to Professor in 2018. He founded the New Materials Institute in 2017 that focuses on green engineering principles and circular materials management.

Locklin has been awarded the Central Intelligence Agency Young Investigator Award, NSF CAREER Award, the Northeast Georgia ACS Chemist of the Year for Research, the Atlanta Magazine Groundbreaker Award, and the College of Engineering Researcher of the Year.  He is the Department Head of Chemistry and the Site Director for the National Science Foundation Industry University Collaborative Research Center – The Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites at UGA, which has over 30 industry partners.

Locklin has published more than 100 papers in polymer science and has over 50 global patents and applications. His group is focused on biopolymer production and applications.