An internationally recognized inorganic chemist, Mindiola was a Presidential Professor from 2013 until July 2018. His research focuses on the design and assembly of reactive metal complexes of early metals and their role in unusual transformations such as the conversion of natural gas to more value-added materials with zero emissions and under mild conditions.

Dr. Mindiola’s many professional honors include the Presidential Early Career Award and the Faculty Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation, the Teacher-Scholar Award and New Faculty Award from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, the Fresenius Award from the American Chemical Society, and the Bessel Research Award from the Humboldt Foundation. He is also the recipient of fellowships from the National Institutes of Health, the Ford Foundation, Sloan Foundation and Guggenheim Foundation, and he is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.