UNC Asheville McCullough Fellow Lights the Way Toward a Greener Future

Senior Chemistry Student Adam Wold Powers Meaningful Change in Sustainability Research

By UNC Asheville

December 9^th, 2025

Adam Wold, a fourth-year Chemistry & Biochemistry major and one of UNC Asheville’s 2025 McCullough Fellows, is charting a course for greener, more accessible solar energy solutions through a collaborative research project that bridges classroom innovation and community impact. Working alongside faculty mentor Jeromy Rech, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry, and local partner Sugar Hollow Solar, Wold is helping lay the groundwork for a future where organic solar cells could enter the commercial solar industry, making flexible panels more widely available, portable, and adaptable across a variety of real-world settings. Through this work, the team is developing green-solvent solar materials that are safer to produce and help reduce the environmental footprint of solar panel manufacturing, work that recently earned Wold a Grand Prize for his research presentation at this year’s Appalachian Energy Summit.

Wold, who transferred to UNC Asheville for his bachelor’s in Chemistry, showed an early aptitude for science dating back to his high school days. “It wasn’t until the spring semester of my junior year that I realized I was pretty good at it, and I have a decent amount of fun doing this,” recalls Wold.

(L) UNC Asheville Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Jeromy Rech, Ph.D., with (R) Adam Wold '26, displaying a solar cell panel made by infinityPV, which is composed of polymers allowing for the unique flexibility.

"If students want to go to grad school, if they want to go to med school, if they want to get a job, these types of experiences are really what train them for that."

Upon enrolling at UNC Asheville, Wold recognized the unique culture of the University, where more than 65% of undergraduates participate in research projects. Hearing about these opportunities from classmates, he was eager to get involved. He joined Rech’s lab in the fall of 2023, where the two quickly developed a strong working rapport through their shared curiosity for real-world problem-solving. As Rech explains, “Ultimately, research is taking stuff that you learn in the classroom and applying it to a real-world problem. If students want to go to grad school, if they want to go to med school, if they want to get a job, these types of experiences are really what train them for that.”

(L) Rech with (R) Wold explains that the unique flexibility of the solar cell panel can be unwound and rolled up similar to aluminum foil or cling wrap.

Building on their shared interests in sustainable Chemistry, Wold and Rech applied for the McCullough Fellowship, a program that would allow them to expand their research beyond the lab and into the community. Now in its tenth year, the highly competitive McCullough Fellowship at UNC Asheville provides undergraduates with funding and mentorship to complete applied research projects in collaboration with faculty and local community partners.

The fellowship enabled the pair to collaborate with Asheville-based solar energy provider Sugar Hollow Solar, gaining valuable industry insight and experience addressing timely solar energy challenges.

Although Wold won’t complete the development of flexible organic solar panels before he graduates in December 2025, his work lays the groundwork for the next student to carry the project forward. He recently met with the project’s incoming researcher to share his experiments, data, and insights from the past year and a half, ensuring a smooth handoff. Wold says it was meaningful “to meet the person who’s going to take over my project and hopefully finish what I started.” Rech adds that this continuity is essential: “If we’re spending this amount of time and resources and effort, we’re gonna do everything in our power to get it across the finish line.”

UNC Asheville McCullough Fellow Lights the Way Toward a Greener Future

Wold’s hands-on growth in adaptability and collaboration reflects a broader philosophy that guides the Chemistry Department’s work under Rech’s leadership. Rather than existing in isolation, the department is intentionally outward-facing by building partnerships with local organizations, contributing to regional sustainability efforts, and engaging in outreach that brings science into the Western North Carolina community. Through conference participation, collaborative industry projects, and publishing in scientific journals, faculty and students alike are strengthening UNC Asheville’s research ecosystem while preparing undergraduates for advanced study, competitive jobs, and meaningful scientific careers.

As Wold prepares to graduate this month, he reflects on how the McCullough Fellowship has afforded him with hands-on experience that strengthened his practical skills, deepened his commitment to meaningful research, and built the foundation for pursuing graduate school and eventually a Ph.D. The fellowship, he says, taught him that scientific growth is as much about mindset as it is about method. It’s not just about accumulating knowledge or mastering every technique, but learning to be adaptable, personable, and open to learning from others.

Adam Wold earned a Grand Prize at this year’s Appalachian Energy Summit for his work with green-solvent solar materials.

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