Biography

Brenton has been a faculty member within the College of Arts and Sciences since 2005, when he joined URI as an assistant professor after serving as a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University. He rose to associate professor in 2010 and to professor in 2017. He also served as director of the Rhode Island Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Training Core.

He has received numerous awards, including research and teaching excellence awards from URI in 2019, an early career award from the National Science Foundation, and the Pfizer Green Chemistry Award. His research spans the fields of organic and organometallic chemistry, and he frequently is an invited speaker at academic conferences.

Brenton has led the Graduate School since 2020, first as interim dean before being named permanent dean in August 2021. In that role, he has provided leadership for graduate education at the University, including guidance and innovation in the development of graduate programs, and he has worked closely with deans and faculty.