Mike Haibach, of Forest Hills, was one of five PhD students in the Rutgers Chemistry Department to win a Reid Award for excellence in PhD research. Haibach was also named the department’s inaugural Thomas Reid Fellow, a recognition of exceptional achievements in research. He has presented and published his research in the American Chemical Society and has recently filed a provisional patent application for one of his discoveries. One of his research interests, the catalytic activation of inert chemical bonds, has practical applications in the fuel and energy industry.
Haibach graduated from Central Catholic High School in 2005 and from the University of Chicago in 2009, with degrees in Chemistry and Math. He currently serves on the Rutgers University Senate and as a representative to the university’s Board of Trustees. He is also a proud alumnus of two local institutions, Boy Scout Troop 90 and the Forest Hills Tennis Team.