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ESCHENMOSER WINS FRANKLIN MEDAL IN CHEMISTRY
sponsors the award, for his research on the molecular motions in chemical reactions in gases and at surfaces. In 1986, Polanyi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Dudley R. Herschbach of Harvard University and Yuan T. Lee of the University of California, Berkeley, for their contributions to the understanding of the dynamics of chemical elementary processes. His other honors include being named an officer, and then a companion, of the Order of Canada, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He is a founding member of both the Committee on Scholarly Freedom of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Committee for Scientists & Scholars.
ALBERT ESCHENMOSER, professor emeritus at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich (ETH), and a professor at Scripps Research Institute, is the winner of the 2008 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry. He is among nine winners of this year’s Franklin Institute Awards, which recognize individuals whose innovations have benefited humanity, advanced science, and launched new fields of inquiry. Eschenmoser is being honored for his seminal investigations into the origin of nucleic acid structure. Over the span of his career, he has made contributions to the theory of terpene biosynthesis, structure elucidation of natural products, stereochemistry and mechanism of organochemical and biochemical reactions, development of new methods for organic synthesis, and total synthesis of complex natural products. One of his most notable achievements was the total synthesis of vitamin B-12, achieved in 1972 with Nobel Laureate Robert B. Woodward. Both the widely used Eschenmoser fragmentation reaction and Eschenmoser’s salt bear his name. Eschenmoser’s current research focuses on the chemical etiology of nucleic acid structure. His synthesis of alternative backbone structures for DNA and RNA suggests that there may be more possibilities than the structures found in nature.
MARNETT TAKES FIRST FOUNDERS’ AWARD LAWRENCE J. MARNETT, director of the
POLANYI GARNERS HERZBERG CANADA GOLD MEDAL JOHN C. POLANYI, Nobel Laureate and University Professor of Chemistry at the University of Toronto, is the winner of the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science & Engineering. Considered Canada’s most prestigious science prize, the medal celebrates that country’s top scientists and engineers and aims to raise public awareness of their contributions to international science and technology. Polanyi will receive $1 million over five years from the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada, which
Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology and Mary Geddes Stahlman Professor of Cancer Research at Vanderbilt University, will receive the inaugural Founders’ Award from the ACS Division of Chemical Toxicology during the fall ACS national meeting in Philadelphia. The award will be given annually to a member of the division whose scientific activities have emphasized innovative research in the general field of chemical toxicology. The division established the award to honor the vision and contributions of individuals who worked to get the division started in the mid-1990s. Marnett’s research focuses on the role of the enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 in cancer and inflammation, as well as on the contribution of normal metabolism to the generation of DNA damage and mutation. His group has used structure-based approaches in conjunction with medicinal chemistry to design selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors as potential anti-inflammatory, cancer-preventive, and antiangiogenic agents. In addition to his research responsibilities, Marnett is also a professor of chemistry and biochemistry and editor of the ACS journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.
COMP ANNOUNCES 2008 DIVISION AWARDS THE ACS DIVISION of Computers in Chemistry (COMP) is presenting several division-sponsored awards during the spring
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ACS national meeting in New Orleans. The HP Outstanding Junior Faculty Award, cosponsored by Hewlett-Packard, recognizes early success and academic potential of computational chemists who are on the tenure track but have not yet received tenure. The winners are Micah L. Abrams, University of Central Arkansas; Orlando Acevedo, Auburn University; So Hirata, University of Florida; Wei Yang, Florida State University; and Shuxing (King) Zhang, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. Each will receive a $1,000 prize. The CCG Graduate Student Excellence Award, cosponsored by the Chemical Computing Group (CCG), recognizes outstanding research performance by a graduate student in computational chemistry. The recipients are Jeff Hammond, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Jean-François Truchon, University of Montreal; Pablo Englebienne, McGill University; Sapna Sarupria, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; and Hanning Chen, University of Utah. The winners will receive $1,150 and a copy of CCG’s MOE (Molecular Operating Environment) software with a one-year license. For more information on COMP’s awards, visit its website at membership. acs.org/c/Comp/awards.html.
CHRISTOU RECEIVES FLORIDA SECTION AWARD GEORGE CHRISTOU, Drago Professor of Chemistry at the University of Florida, is the recipient of the 2008 Florida Award in Chemistry. Presented annually by the ACS Florida Section, it recognizes leadership and contributions that advance the profession of chemistry. Christou has made notable contributions in the synthesis and study of molecular clusters of transition metals, particularly metal carboxylate clusters and their applications to bioinorganic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, and nanoscale magnetic materials. He is a leader in the investigation of singlemolecule magnetism, the ability of individual molecules to function as nanoscale magnetic particles. These materials have potential applications in ultra-high-density information storage and quantum computing.
discovery at Sanofi-Aventis, are the winners of the 2008 Grand Prix of the Fondation de la Maison de la Chimie. The award, given every two years to honor original work in chemistry that benefits mankind, society, or nature, includes a monetary award of 35,000 euros (roughly $55,000).
Christou will accept his award in May during the Florida ACS Annual Meeting & Exposition (FAME 2008) in Kissimmee.
VEDERAS, BROWN HONORED BY CHEMICAL INSTITUTE OF CANADA THE CHEMICAL INSTITUTE of Canada
has honored two researchers with top awards. John C. Vederas, University Professor of Chemistry and Canada Research Chair in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Alberta, is the winner of the Chemical Institute of Canada Medal. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to chemistry or chemical engineering in Canada. Vederas is a leader in the application of organic chemistry to understanding biological mechanisms. R. Stanley Brown, a professor of chemistry at Queen’s University, in Ontario, has received the Montreal Medal. That award recognizes leadership in or outstanding contributions to the profession of chemistry or chemical engineering in Canada. His research interests include electrophilic bromination, amide hydrolysis mechanisms, and catalysis and model enzyme chemistry.
■ Peter R. Huntsman, president and
CEO of Huntsman Corp., and David C. Swalm, founder and former chairman and CEO of Texas Olefins, received the 12th annual Petrochemical Heritage Award. The Chemical Heritage Foundation and the Founders Club established the award in 1997 to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the petrochemical community. ■ William J. Koros, Roberto C. Goizueta Chair for Excellence in Chemical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, is the winner of the 2008 Alan S. Michaels Award for Innovation in Membrane Science & Technology. The award, sponsored by the North American Membrane Society, recognizes outstanding innovations and lifetime contributions to the field.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION ■ John Conboy, associate professor of chem-
istry at the University of Utah, is the recipient of the 2008 Craver Award by the Coblentz Society. Conboy is being recognized for his multidisciplinary achievements involving the use of nonlinear vibrational spectroscopy as a novel analytical tool for the study of cell membrane dynamics and structure. ■ Robert Farrauto, a research fellow at
BASF Catalysis Research and adjunct professor of earth and environmental engineering at Columbia University, is the 2008 F. G. Ciapetta Lecturer. The award is given by the North American Catalysis Society to recognize substantial contributions to industrial catalysis. Farrauto’s contributions include the development of catalysts that abate engine emissions.
■ Victor R. McCrary Jr., president of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists & Chemical Engineers, is the recipient of the 2008 Innovation in Technology Award given by the Washington, D.C., metro-area alumni extension chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers. The award is given annually to a scientist residing in the greater Washington, D.C., area who has made distinguished contributions and professional achievements in scientific research and technology development.
■ Kankan Bhattacharyya, a professor of physical chemistry at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, is the winner of the 2007 TWAS Prize in chemistry. It is administered by TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world. Bhattacharyya was honored for his seminal contributions to unraveling the complexities of ultrafast dynamics in organized and biological assemblies. ■ L. K. Doraiswamy, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor Emeritus of chemical and biological engineering at Iowa State University and a former director of India’s National Chemical Laboratory, is the winner of the 2007 Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers’ Diamond Award. His research centers on theoretical and experimental studies in catalytic reactions and reactors, modeling gas-solid reactions, and sonochemical reaction engineering. ■ Alfred Hassner, Bar Ilan University, and
Ronnie Kosloff, Hebrew University of Je-
rusalem, are the recipients of the 2007 Israel Chemical Society Prize for Excellence. Hassner was recognized for his lifelong achievements in chemical research and his groundbreaking contributions to synthetic and heterocyclic organic chemistry in Israel and abroad. Kosloff was honored for his pioneering contributions to the development of time-dependent quantum mechanical studies of chemical systems. ■ Manabu Tokeshi, associate professor of
applied chemistry at Nagoya University, Japan, has been named the 2007 winner of the Pioneers in Miniaturisation Prize, sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry and Corning. The prize aims to promote miniaturization through micro- and nanotechnologies to the wider scientific community and to encourage both young and new scientists into the field.
■ Daniel J. Ostgard of
■ John T. Groves, Hugh Stott Taylor Chair
of Chemistry at Princeton University, and Jean-Pierre Maffrand, former head of drug
Groves
ganic Reactions Catalysis Society. It recognizes important contributions to catalyst technology in organic synthesis.
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Evonik Industries is the winner of the 2008 Murray Raney Award, presented by the Or-
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This section is compiled by LINDA WANG. Announcements awards may be sent to
[email protected].
