Tyler Farnsworth ’13 grew up doing science experiments at the kitchen counter. Homeschooled from kindergarten through 12th grade, his early labs were improvised affairs.
But they laid the groundwork for a career that has taken him into highly sophisticated technology spaces – including Argonne National Laboratory, where he is an intellectual property and commercialization manager.
When Farnsworth enrolled at USC Upstate, he planned to study chemical engineering and eventually transfer to a larger university. Upstate was a practical first step — close to home, with the core coursework he needed. But Chemistry 101 changed his trajectory.
“Everything clicked that first semester,” Farnsworth recalls. “I realized I had a natural ability to understand difficult chemical concepts that others struggled to comprehend.”
Professor Chris Bender recognized that, too.
“He encouraged me to consider a career in chemistry and I haven’t looked back,” Farnsworth says.
He also points to another formative Upstate figure: the Rev. Stacey Mills, then assistant director of student life. “He grounded me with the importance of integrity and the impact of character,” Farnsworth says. “His life lessons still resonate today.”
Beyond the classroom, Farnsworth threw himself into campus life — student government, Chemistry Club, Cru, and his role as a resident advisor, among other activities. The networking and multi-disciplinary skills he built there never left him, he says: “I still use those every day as I build relationships across different industry sectors.”
After graduating from USC Upstate, Farnsworth earned his doctorate in polymer and materials chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2018, supported by a three-year National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. His dissertation explored how ultra-thin, sheet-like nanomaterials interact and behave when layered together.
He spent the next several years in Virginia, first at Luna Innovations, where he eventually led more than $4.5 million in government-funded research projects for the Department of Defense. He then moved to Inorganic Ventures, a local small business, where he launched MERGE Chemistry as a startup division and developed a line of specialty additives for next-generation batteries.
Today, Farnsworth works at Argonne National Laboratory, a Department of Energy facility that has been a hub of American scientific research for 80 years. His position as intellectual property and commercialization manager places him at the crossroads of laboratory science and real-world impact.
In his role, he helps turn discoveries made by Argonne’s researchers into products, partnerships, and technologies that benefit the public. Farnsworth helps to facilitate partnerships with companies that want to access Argonne’s facilities and research expertise.
He also negotiates licenses to Argonne’s inventions, particularly in the area of batteries, to commercialize Argonne’s technologies. He calls himself “a people connector, technology translator, and market evaluator.”
“Every day at Argonne provides an opportunity to work alongside the world’s leading experts in their respective disciplines,” Farnsworth notes.
He is grateful to USC Upstate for lighting that spark that has led to such personally and professionally fulfilling work.
“The Upstate chemistry program built my confidence that I could pursue a career in chemistry, enabling me to thrive.”
Get in the spotlight.
Each month, we spotlight one of our alumni to learn about their experiences since graduation. Through their stories, often in their own words, we discover the impact Upstate has made on their journeys.