Jamison Watson

Jamison Watson is an interdisciplinary engineer with extensive experience driving research excellence and strategic partnerships across academia, government, and industry. As Assistant Director for Research Development at the MATRIX Lab, he leads initiatives to accelerate collaborative research in autonomy, resilience, and edge technologies, bridging applied science with national and regional priorities.

Prior to joining the MATRIX Lab, Jamison served as a Technology Manager at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, where he managed a biotechnology R&D portfolio, spearheaded new initiatives to accelerate technology transfer, and developed impact frameworks to streamline portfolio efficiency and establish key performance indicators. Jamison also previously served as an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow at the National Science Foundation in the Office of International Science & Engineering, where he negotiated global R&D partnerships, led bilateral science initiatives with India and China, and developed a data-based strategic partnership framework to inspire international engagement in critical and emerging technology areas.

A former Schmidt Science Fellow at MIT, Jamison’s academic expertise spans thermochemical conversion and catalysis, with publications in Nature Materials and Environmental Science & Technology. His commitment to global collaboration extends beyond science: as a multilingual communicator and lifelong language learner (advanced proficiency in Mandarin), he brings a cross-cultural lens to international research diplomacy and stakeholder engagement.

Jamison’s work has earned multiple national honors, including the U.S. Fulbright Scholarship, U.S. Critical Language Scholarship, Blakemore Freeman Fellowship, and the Ross J. Martin Award from the University of Illinois. He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Agricultural & Biological Engineering from the University of Illinois and a B.A. in Chemistry from St. Olaf College.

Publications

Watson, J.*, Webber, M.*, hu, J., Jang, J., Caglayan M., Heyne, J., Beckham, G., Roman, Y. 2024. Lignin-derived aromatics as performance-advantaged sustainable jet fuel blendstocks. Nature Materials. Article Link.
* These authors contributed equally to this work

Si, B., Watson, J.†, Wang, Z., Wang, T., Acero Triana, J., Zhang, Y†. 2024. Storage stability of biocrude oil fractional distillates derived from the hydrothermal liquefaction of food waste. Renewable Energy. 220: 119669. Article Link.
† Corresponding authors.

Watson, J., Si, B., Wang, Z., Wang, T., Valentine, A., Zhang, Y. 2021. Towards transportation fuel production from food waste: the potential of biocrude oil distillates for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. Fuel. 301: 121028. Article Link.

Watson, J., Wang, T., Si, B., Aierzhati, A., Wang, Z., Zhang, Y. 2021. Biocrude oil from algal bloom microalgae: a novel integration of biological and thermochemical techniques. Environmental Science & Technology (Impact Factor: 11.4). 55:1973-1983. Article Link.

Watson, J., Wang, T., Si, B., Chen, W., Zhang, Y., Aierzhati, A. 2020. Valorization of hydrothermal liquefaction aqueous phase: pathways towards commercial viability. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science (Impact Factor: 29.5). 77: 100819. Article Link.

Watson, J., Lu, J., de Souza, R., Si, B., Zhang, Y., Liu, Z. 2019. Effects of the extraction solvents in hydrothermal liquefaction processes: biocrude oil quality and energy conversion efficiency. Energy (Impact Factor: 9.0). 167: 189-197. Article Link.

Watson, J., Zhang, Y., Si, B., Chen, W., and de Souza, R. 2018. Gasification of biowaste: a critical review and outlooks. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews (Impact Factor: 15.9). 83: 1-17. Article Link.

Watson, J., Si, B., Li, H., Liu, Z., and Zhang Y. 2017. Influence of catalysts on hydrogen from wastewater generated from the HTL of human feces via catalytic hydrothermal gasification. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (Impact Factor: 7.2). 42: 20503-20511. Article Link.