Damian Beauchamp
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, 2012
Durham, North Carolina
Damian Beauchamp is Chief of Staff and Principal Chemist at 8 Rivers Capital, LLC in Durham, N.C. At 8 River’s, Damian helps evaluate, develop and commercialize industrial scale technologies such as emission-free fossil-fuel-fired power plants, gigabit wireless for autonomous vehicles, rocketless space launch, hydrogen generation, capture and conversion of carbon dioxide, artificial photosynthesis and water purification.
Beauchamp graduated magna cum laude from Kent State with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. During his time at KSU, he conducted research in the area of organic synthesis towards novel liquid crystals under the direction of Drs. Alexander Seed and Paul Sampson. Beauchamp received the National Smart Grant, National Science Foundation (NSF) S.T.E.M. Fellowship, Choose Ohio First Scholarship and the Undergraduate Excellence in Chemistry Award.
In 2016, Beauchamp earned a Master of Science in Chemistry from The Ohio State University (OSU). The focus of his research was based on the conversion and storage of solar energy through dye-sensitized solar cells, solar batteries, catalyst development and solar fuel production. His research has been published in some of the world’s most prestigious chemistry literature such as Angewandte Chemie, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Nature Chemistry and Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN). Beauchamp received honorable mention from the NSF Graduate Fellowship committee, which is regarded as a significant national academic achievement.
The American Chemical Society then selected Beauchamp to attend the ACS Green Chemistry and Renewable Energy Summer School at the Colorado School Mines. In 2015, Chemical Abstract Services (the world authority on chemical information) chose Beauchamp as one of twenty selected globally to receive the SciFinder Future Leaders in Chemistry Award.
While a student at OSU, Beauchamp's entrepreneurial abilities flourished as evidenced by winning both the OSU and Ivey Business Plan Competitions and being awarded the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Energy Prize from the Rice Business Plan Competition. He was also selected by VentureNEXT as the recipient of the Ohio Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award, was one of Midwest Energy News’ 40 Under 40 and Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and was featured as one of Fortune Magazine’s Cool Companies; subsequently he was invited to speak at Fortune Brainstorm E and TEDx.
He was one of four founding members of the Joint Safety Team at OSU, which aimed at improving the laboratory safety culture at OSU. He also served for 2.5 years developing a self-sustaining organization that continues to operate today. Beauchamp volunteered as a Spark Clean Energy Fellow and for COSI’s Chemistry Day, which teaches children the importance and fun of chemistry.
Beauchamp was raised in Streetsboro, Ohio, by parents Richard and Jacqueline Beauchamp. He graduated from Streetsboro High School in 2004 and began attending Kent State University in 2007.