Faculty Profiles

Colleges and Departments

Dr. Sean Michael Kerwin

  • Regents' Professor - Chemistry and Biochemistry
  • University Distinguished Professor - College of Science & Engineering
Portrait of Dr. Sean Michael Kerwin

Biography and education

Sean Kerwin earned a PhD in chemistry from UC Berkeley. After postdoctoral work at UC San Francisco, he began his academic career at UT Austin in the College of Pharmacy, and moved to Texas State University in 2015 where ​he is currently Regents' Professor and Director of the Materials Science, Engineering, and Commercialization ​Program.

Teaching Interests

Research Interests

  • Lewis, Karen A (Principal), Kerwin, Sean Michael (Co-Principal), Whitten, Steven T (Co-Principal), Kornienko, Alexander Vladimir (Supporting), Peterson, Ryan Loren (Supporting), Xue, Xiaoyu (Supporting). MRI: Acquisition of Automated Isothermal Titration Calorimeter for Biophysical Research at Texas State University, National Science Foundation, Federal, $262280. (Submitted: January 19, 2022, Funded: September 1, 2022 - August 31, 2025). Grant.
  • Lewis, Karen A (Principal), Luxford, Cynthia J (Co-Principal), Wheeler, Brittany Marie (Co-Principal), Webre, Whitney Ann (Co-Principal), Holland, Cory Lee (Co-Principal), Betancourt, Tania (Supporting), Brittain, William J (Supporting), Hudnall, Todd W (Supporting), Irvin, Jennifer A (Supporting), Kerwin, Sean Michael (Supporting), Kornienko, Alexander Vladimir (Supporting), Peterson, Ryan Loren (Supporting), Rhodes, Christopher Peter (Supporting). REU Site: A Chemistry REU on Molecular Innovation and Exploration (CheMIE), National Science Foundation, Federal, $378188. (Submitted: August 25, 2021, Funded: April 15, 2022 - Present). Grant.
  • Betancourt, Tania (Principal), Brittain, William J (Co-Principal), Irvin, Jennifer A (Co-Principal), Theodoropoulou, Nikoleta (Co-Principal), Martin, Benjamin (Co-Principal), Rhodes, Christopher Peter (Co-Principal), Wistey, Mark A (Co-Principal), Miyahara, Yoichi (Co-Principal), Kerwin, Sean Michael (Co-Principal). TxState-UT PREM Center for Intelligent Materials Assembly (CIMA), National Science Foundation, Federal, $3822000. (Funded: July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2027). Grant.
  • Lewis, Karen A (Principal), Kerwin, Sean Michael (Co-Principal), McLean, Robert J C (Co-Principal), Chang, Carolyn T (Supporting), David, Wendi M (Supporting). U-RISE at Texas State, National Institutes of Health - National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Federal, $2238578. (Funded: April 1, 2021 - March 31, 2026). Grant.
  • Mandal, Sujata (Principal), Kerwin, Sean Michael (Co-Principal), Sen, Keya (Co-Principal), Speed, Jennifer M (Co-Principal). NSF TTP-T: A Market-Driven Nanotech Platform for Emergency Water and Post-Disaster Soil Restoration, National Science Foundation, Federal, $1192428. (Submitted: September 16, 2025). Grant.
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  • Kerwin, S. M. (2025). Introduction to non-canonical DNA using 3D printed models. Abstracts of Papers, 269th ACS National Meeting, CHED-98.
  • Saucedo, A., Muppidi, S., Smith, J. L., Jemal, M., Mesa-Diaz, N. L., Vernaza, A., … Kerwin, S. M. (2025). Caffeic acid phenethyl amide and analogues as anticancer agents against neuroblastoma. Book of Abstracts of the 269th ACS National Meeting & Exposition. Retrieved from https://www.fasebj.org/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.634.5
  • Kerwin, S. M., & Subbarao, M. (2024). Water-Mediated Synthesis of (E)-3-(1-methyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-5-yl)-N-phenethylacrylamide, a Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Amide analogue. MolBank, M1915. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3390/M1915
  • Das, M. K., Williams, E. P., Myhre, M. W., David, W. M., & Kerwin, S. M. (2024). Calcium-Dependent Chemiluminescence Catalyzed by a Truncated c-MYC Promoter G-Triplex DNA. Molecules, 29, 4457. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29184457
  • Saucedo, A., Subbarao, M., Jemal, M. J., Mesa-Diaz, N. L., Smith, J. L., Vernaza, A., … Kerwin, S. M. (2024). Flow and On-Water Synthesis and Cancer Cell Cytotoxicity of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Amide (CAPA) Derivatives. Int J Mol Sci., 25(15), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15101268
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  • Award / Honor Recipient: Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors, National Academy of Inventors. 2025 - Present
  • Award / Honor Recipient: University Distinguished Professor, Texas State University. 2024 - Present
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Regent's Professor, Texas State University System. 2024 - Present
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Presidential Distinction Award for Service, Texas State University. 2024 - 2025
  • Award / Honor Recipient: COSE Excellence in Teaching Award, COSE. 2023 - 2024
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  1. Graduate Advisor

    Interim Director, IMBC

  2. Participant

    THECB Site Visit for IMBC Program

  3. Participant

    THECB Board Meeting Presentation of IMBC Program

  4. Participant

    Rising Doctoral Institute Workshop

  5. Member

    Institutional Biosafety Committee

  6. Member

    College Council

  7. View all activities