CREDIT: UC BERKELEY COLLEGE OF CHEMISTRY
▸ Robert Bergman wins Wolf Prize in Chemistry For his discovery of the activation of carbon-hydrogen bonds of hydrocarbons by soluble transition-metal complexes, Robert Bergman has won the 2017 Wolf Prize in Chemistry. Bergman is the Gerald E.K. Branch Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. The $100,000 prize is among five awards given out this year by the Israel-based Wolf Foundation to honor achievements in medicine, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and the arts. The awards are sometimes referred to as the Israeli Nobels. “I was both surprised and honored to hear about the Wolf Prize decision,” Bergman says. “I have immense respect for this program because it reflects the dedication of both the Wolf Foundation and the Israeli government to achievements in the arts and in fundamental, long-term research in science, even in the face of pressures that are increasing worldwide for short-term payoffs from research investments.” In the early 1980s, Bergman discovered the first transition-metal compound, an iridium complex, to catalyze the activation of C–H bonds, leading to an oxidative addition reaction. More recently, he discovered methods to apply catalytic C–H bond activation reactions to the synthesis of a wide variety of useful heterocycles. His discoveries have been the basis for advances in areas such as petroleum chemistry (C–H activation) and medicinal chemistry (enediyne cycloaromatization). “I want to emphasize that the work resulting in this award was due in no small part to the intellectual, experimental, and theoretical contributions of the students and postdoctoral associates who have worked closely with me during my career,” Bergman says. He and the other award recipients will be honored at a ceremony at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in June.
▸ COMP presents division awards The ACS Division of Computers in Chemistry (COMP) presented the following awards at the fall 2016 ACS national meeting in Philadelphia.
The OpenEye Outstanding Junior Faculty Award in Computational Chemistry assists new faculty members in gaining visibility within the COMP community. The winners are Michele Pavanello, Rutgers University; Sapna Sarupria, Clemson University; Paul Zimmerman, University of Michigan; and Yosuke Kanai, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Each winner received a $1,000 prize. The Chemical Computing Group Excellence Award for Graduate Students recognizes outstanding research performance by a graduate student in computational chemistry. The recipients are Xubin Li, Florida State University; Wenjuan Jiang, Syracuse University; Saeed Izadi, Virginia Tech; Hector H. Corzo, Auburn University; and Arkajyoti Sengupta, Indiana University. The winners received $1,150 and a copy of CCG’s MOE (Molecular Operating Environment) software with a one-year license. The Wiley Computers in Chemistry Outstanding Postdoc Award went to Emilie Guidez, Iowa State University; and Justin Lemkul, University of Maryland. The winners received $1,000 each and presented their work at the COMP symposium in Philadelphia.
▸ Akron Award to Paul Hergenrother Paul J. Hergenrother, Kenneth L. Rinehart Jr. Endowed Chair in Natural Products Chemistry at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, is the recipient of the 2016 Akron Section Award, given by the ACS Akron Section to promising young industrial or academic scientists. The award consists of $1,000 and a plaque. Hergenrother’s research focuses on the synthesis of complex and diverse compounds from natural products and the identification of anticancer targets and targets for drug-resistant bacteria. He is cofounder and chief scientific officer of Vanquish Oncology.
Memphis Section. The award is given annually to honor outstanding researchers who have brought recognition to the South by their activities and accomplishments. Christou’s research is in transition-metal chemistry, primarily the synthesis and study of 3-D metal-oxo coordination clusters and their applications to diverse fields. More recently, he has worked in other areas, such as supramolecular chemistry applied to magnetic molecules and molecular routes to atomically precise metal oxide nanoclusters for various applications.
ACS NEWS
▸ 2017 Dreyfus Prize open for nominations Nominations are being accepted for the 2017 Dreyfus Prize in the Chemical Sciences, sponsored by the Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation. The prize is awarded to an individual in a selected area of chemistry to recognize exceptional and original research that has advanced the field in a major way. This year’s topic is “Theoretical and Computational Chemistry.” The prize is awarded every other year and consists of a citation, a medal, and an award of $250,000. The deadline for nominations is March 2. For more information, visit www.dreyfus.org/Prize/prizenomination. shtml.
▸ Call for nominations for Norris Award
George Christou, Distinguished Professor
Nominations are being accepted for the 2017 James Flack Norris Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching of Chemistry. The award is given annually by the ACS Northeastern Section and consists of a certificate and $3,000 honorarium. Nominations should focus on the candidate’s contributions to and effectiveness in teaching chemistry. The package must include a primary nomination letter, supporting letters, and the candidate’s curriculum vitae. Send nomination packets electronically in PDF format to Anna Singer at secretary@ nesacs.org. For more information, visit www.nesacs.org/awards_norris.html. Nominations are due by April 15.
and Drago Chair of Chemistry at the University of Florida, has won the Southern Chemist Award, presented by the ACS
Announcements of awards may be sent to
[email protected].
▸ George Christou wins Southern Chemist Award
JANUARY 16, 2017 | CEN.ACS.ORG | C&EN
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