Christopher Dade defended his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in September 2025. Since graduating, he has been working as the co-founder and director of the Wisconsin Science, Technology, and Engineering Policy (WI STEP) Fellowship which places STEM PhD fellows in the Wisconsin Legislature’s nonpartisan service agencies. In May 2026, he will move to Lincoln, Nebraska, to begin his postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Nicole Buan at the University of Nebraska. He will identify and characterize spatially coupled biochemical processes in methanogenic archaea—microbes that have the unique capability to grow by synthesizing the high-energy fuel methane. As a Mitchell Scholar Christopher studied Science Communication at Dublin City University. As an undergraduate, he served as Campus President of the Associated Students of the University of Missouri, where he worked on the annual lobbying platform, and was the central organizer of the March for Science in mid-Missouri. For four years, Christopher served as a Site Leader for Mizzou’s alternative spring breaks, organizing projects focused on natural habitat restoration, public lands preservation, and food insecurity. He was also a trumpet player for the Marching Mizzou. Christopher graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in Chemistry.

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