ACS AWARD FOR CREATIVE ADVANCES IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: BRUCE E. LOGAN Sponsor: ACS Division of Environ-
mental Chemistry, Environmental Science & Technology, and Environmental Science & Technology Letters Citation: For the invention and development of devices that use microorganisms to convert waste biomass into useful products such as electrical power and hydrogen gas. Current position: Kappe Professor of Environmental Engineering, Even Pugh University Professor, Penn State University Education: B.S., chemical engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; M.S., environmental engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Ph.D., environmental engineering, University of California, Berkeley Logan on what inspires him: “Experiments that don’t work the way they should, even when everything was done correctly. It is not learning from mistakes—it is the fact that you are obviously missing something, which usually is not obvious at all. That usually leads to learning new things.” What his colleagues say: “Logan’s work has helped to launch a global effort in microbial fuel cell research and other microbial electrochemical technologies.”—Peggy A. Johnson, Pennsylvania State University
ACS AWARD IN CHROMATOGRAPHY: HAROLD M. MCNAIR Sponsor: Sigma-Aldrich/Supelco Citation: For out-
standing contributions to the science of chromatography and to the education of chromatographers throughout a career spanning seven decades.
Arizona; M.S., Ph.D., analytical chemistry, Purdue University McNair on his scientific role model:
“Dr. Keulemans, Eindhoven Technical University, where I had a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship. He pushed me so deeply into chromatography that I never left the field.” What his colleagues say: “Combine the massive number of courses with the teaching prizes he has been awarded, and you begin to understand the quality of instruction chromatography students around the world have received from McNair.”—John G. Dorsey, Florida State University
ACS AWARD FOR CREATIVE WORK IN SYNTHETIC ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: SCOTT J. MILLER Sponsor: Aldrich Chemical Co. Citation: For his discovery of minimal
peptidic catalysts for important enantioselective and site-selective reactions, bridging the fields of enzymology and small-molecule catalysis in completely unprecedented ways. Current position:
Irénée du Pont Professor of Chemistry, Yale University Education: B.A., chemistry, Harvard College; M.A., Ph.D., chemistry, Harvard University Miller on what inspires him: “Molecular science is so fascinating. My sense is that there are very few processes that are understood in a definitive way. Our community keeps rethinking things, reconceptualizing things. I read the literature with a sense of amazement.” What his colleagues say: “Miller’s work served as a foundation for the entire field of late-stage functionalization and natural product remodeling, currently one of the hottest topics in organic chemistry.”—Eric Jacobsen, Harvard University
NATIONAL FRESENIUS AWARD: DOUGLAS A. MITCHELL
Current position:
professor emeritus of chemistry, part-time visiting professor, mining engineering, Virginia Tech Education: B.S., chemistry, University of
Sponsor: Phi Lambda Upsilon, The Na-
tional Chemistry Honor Society Citation: For his contributions toward the mechanistic understanding and reengiCEN.ACS.ORG
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neering of natural product biosynthesis. Current position: associate professor of chemistry, University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign Education: B.S., chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University; Ph.D., chemistry, University of California, Berkeley Mitchell on what inspires him: “I admire a number of people for a variety of reasons. My former mentors top the role model list, and to this day, I still find myself emulating various aspects of how they run their labs. Given my interest in the mechanistic enzymology of natural product biosynthesis, I’ve been strongly influenced by Chris Walsh’s pioneering work. However, I would say my personal scientific hero is Paul Ehrlich, whose contributions to chemotherapy, medicinal chemistry, and immunology are too numerous to list here.” What his colleagues say: “Mitchell has made immensely impressive research contributions that embrace bold and novel approaches to the potentially devastating global health issue of drug-resistant bacteria.”—Gregory S. Girolami, University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign
GEORGE C. PIMENTEL AWARD IN CHEMICAL EDUCATION: RICHARD MOOG Sponsor: Cengage Learning and the ACS Division of Chemical Education Citation: For developing and encouraging the use of innovative, student-centered teaching approaches and fostering true collaboration among professionals that benefits the entire chemical education community. Current Position:
professor of chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College; director, the POGIL Project Education: B.A., chemistry, Williams College; Ph.D., physical chemistry, Stanford University Moog on what he wants to accomplish in the next decade: “Simply put, I want to
keep learning new things. Over the past several years, I have become interested in education research, particularly issues related to measure-
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ment and instrument development—and my scholarship is now focused in chemical education research. But I still have a lot to learn!” What his colleagues say: “Rick has influenced hundreds of teachers and tens of thousands of students because of his tireless commitment to the learning and teaching of chemistry. I am not alone when I say that I have learned a tremendous amount from this dedicated professional who puts the needs and talents of others ahead of his own glory.”—Diane Bunce, U.S. Naval Academy
RONALD BRESLOW AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN BIOMIMETIC CHEMISTRY: THOMAS W. MUIR Sponsor: Ronald Breslow Award Endowment Citation: For development and application of expressed protein ligation in the understanding of intracellular signaling pathways such as the histone code for chromatin structure and function. Current position:
Van Zandt Williams Jr. Class of ’65 Professor of Chemistry, chair of the department of chemistry, Princeton University Education: B.Sc., chemistry, University of Edinburgh; Ph.D., organic chemistry, University of Edinburgh Muir on his scientific goals: “A principal focus of our lab is studying epigenetic regulation using chemical methods. We are trying hard to develop quantitative methods that allow these complex processes to be better studied in the test tube. Thinking about the distant horizon, I would love to be able to develop precision chemical tools that allow chromatin to be customized in a cellular context, thereby allowing specific biochemical hypotheses relating to gene regulation to be tested.” What his colleagues say: “Tom Muir has made fundamental contributions to the synthesis of proteins of unusual structure which cannot be made by natural means. He has developed robust and widely used methods of ligating two peptide or protein fragments together to create nonnatural sequence containing proteins. These methods take advantage of natural intein chemistry but also require tremendous insight and intuition in terms of peptide synthesis.”—Kevan M. Shokat, University of California, San Francisco
ACS AWARD IN PURE CHEMISTRY: JONATHAN S. OWEN Sponsor: Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity and Alpha Chi Sigma Educational Foundation Citation: For his deep chemical understanding of the synthesis and surface chemistry of colloidal quantum dots. Current position:
assistant professor of chemistry, Columbia University Education: B.S., chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Ph.D., chemistry, California Institute of Technology Owen on what gets him inspired: “Usually a thorough and penetrating manuscript or lecture has the biggest impact on my thinking. When I can find the time, I enjoy reading about unfamiliar topics and old literature on unsolved big picture problems like water splitting. (There is some excellent work out there!)” What his colleagues say: “Using the rigorous principles and methods of synthetic chemistry, Jonathan has fundamentally changed the way the community understands the nucleation, surface chemistry, and reactivity of colloidal quantum dots. He has shown that many of my own ideas from decades ago were wrong.”—Louis Brus, Columbia University
ACS AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY: VINCENT L. PECORARO Sponsor: Strem Chemicals Citation: For outstanding contribu-
tions to research and major service in the discipline of inorganic chemistry. Current position:
John T. Groves Collegiate Professor of Chemistry, University of Michigan Education: B.S. biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles; Ph.D., chemistry, University of California, Berkeley Pecoraro on what gets him inspired:
“A reproducible, unexpected result. While it is always gratifying to build a molecule, achieve CEN.ACS.ORG
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a desired physical property, or be able to complete specific catalysis from first principles in a predictable manner, the most exciting times are when a new result challenges one’s preconceptions about how nature works. At that point, we move from the application of existing principles to the search for new knowledge.” What his colleagues say: “Vince is without question one of the top synthetic inorganic chemists practicing today. It is exceedingly rare that an individual can make a single groundbreaking advance, yet Vince has been capable of doing this in four different areas: manganese bioinorganic chemistry, vanadium bioinorganic chemistry, de novo designed metallopeptides, and metallamacrocycles, a field which he founded.”—Melanie Sanford, University of Michigan
RALPH F. HIRSCHMANN AWARD IN PEPTIDE CHEMISTRY: RONALD T. RAINES Sponsor: Merck Research Laboratories Citation: For extraordinarily cre-
ative contributions to diverse aspects of peptide chemistry, including identifying the structural role of stereoelectronic effects and the development of new ligation methods. Current position:
Henry Lardy Professor of Biochemistry, Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Biology, and professor of chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison Education: Sc.B, chemistry and biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; A.M., Ph.D., chemistry, Harvard University Raines on his current scientific goals:
“Although numerous strategies exist to downregulate the activities of intracellular enzymes and other proteins, there are few ways to up-regulate. I hope to develop a general and efficient method to deliver native proteins into human cells: ‘gene therapy without the genes.’ ” What his colleagues say: “Brief comments cannot do justice to a research program with the breadth and depth of Raines’s. This award honors a remarkable spectrum of transformative research, built upon a foundation of peptide science.”—Samuel H. Gellman, University of Wisconsin, Madison
PETER DEBYE AWARD IN PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY: MARK A. RATNER Sponsor: E. I. du Pont de Nemours &
Co. Citation: For founding the field of mo-
lecular electronics; insistence that theory work with experiment; collaborative research in election transport/transfer, quantum dynamics, energy capture/storage; and related issues. Current position:
Emeritus professor of Chemistry, Northwestern University Education: A.B., chemistry, Harvard University; Ph.D., chemistry, Northwestern University Ratner on his current scientific goals: “I’d like to make a
real contribution to the preservation of our environment. It could come from scientific work, or even political work, but we need to preserve our home.” What his colleagues say: “In several areas of chemical science, Ratner has permanently changed the way chemists do chemistry. Ratner’s imaginative ideas, insights, methods, and useful formulations permit chemists to understand, calculate, interpret, and use theoretical methods.”—Josef Michl, University of Colorado, Boulder
ACS AWARD IN APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE: THOMAS P. RUSSELL Sponsor: Eastman Chemical Citation: For his pioneering research
on the surface and interfacial behavior of polymers. Current position: Silvio O. Conte
Distinguished Professor, University of Massachusetts Education: B.S., chemistry, Boston State College; M.S., Ph.D., polymer science and engineering, University of Massachusetts Russell on his scientific role model:
“Perhaps the one individual who was tremendously influential in my career after graduate school was Professor E. W. Fischer, a polymer
physicist who is now deceased, with whom I did my postdoctoral studies at the University of Mainz. I was most impressed with the depth to which he pursued his research, the curiosity that drove his research, and his ability to quantitatively pursue his research with a clarity that was exceptional.” What his colleagues say: “His excellence in every facet of his research makes him unique within the international polymer community, and his impact on polymer science and thin film nanostructures is simply outstanding.”—Kenneth R. Carter, University of Massachusetts
JAMES FLACK NORRIS AWARD IN PHYSICAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: J. C. (TITO) SCAIANO Sponsor: ACS Northeastern Section Citation: For his pioneering con-
tribution to understanding organic photochemistry and the chemistry of short-lived reaction intermediates, and creatively applying their principles to contemporary problems. Current position:
Canada Research Chair in applied photochemistry, University of Ottawa Education: B.S., chemistry, University of Buenos Aires; Ph.D., chemistry, University of Chile Scaiano on his current scientific goals: “Aged 70, the next decade may be
the last of active research. I want to leave a legacy in the form of accomplished researchers who learned about research, teaching and ethics, not just from me, but from a group of researchers who command respect. As my coworkers face the challenges of a career and their personal lives I always tell them, ‘Let your personal life interfere with your career.’ I hope they will pass this message on.” What his colleagues say: “Tito Scaiano is a world leader in the study of the mechanisms and kinetics of organic reactions involving short-lived reaction intermediates and in the translation of the fundamental knowledge to diverse contemporary scientific problems spanning materials, biological, and health related systems.”—Keith Ingold, National Research Council CEN.ACS.ORG
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IRVING LANGMUIR AWARD IN CHEMICAL PHYSICS: GEORGE C. SCHATZ Sponsor: GE Global Research and the
American Chemical Society Division of Physical Chemistry Citation: For broad-ranging contributions to theories in physical chemistry, including research in reaction dynamics, plasmonic spectroscopy, self-assembly of soft materials, and carbon-based nanomaterials. Current position: Charles E. & Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry, professor of chemical and biological engineering, Northwestern University Education: B.S., chemistry, Clarkson University; Ph.D., chemistry, California Institute of Technology Schatz on his current scientific goals:
“There are many new classes of materials based on diverse chemistries such as organicinorganic hybrids, and multiscale structures from nano to micro, that are being developed by my colleagues and others. These provide new opportunities for theory, particularly with regard to emergent properties, with the discovery process only being limited by my imagination. It is an exciting time to be doing science.” What his colleagues say: “I would characterize Schatz as a problem-oriented theorist. He will use a variety of theoretical techniques, and invent new ones as necessary, to attack the chemical problem at hand. He has done this better than anyone else and thus is richly deserving of the Langmuir Award.”—William H. Miller, University of California, Berkeley
HARRY GRAY AWARD FOR CREATIVE WORK IN INORGANIC CHEMISTRY BY A YOUNG INVESTIGATOR: ERIC J. SCHELTER Sponsor: Gray Award Endowment Citation: For his studies on the elec-
tronic structures, bonding, and redox properties of f-block complexes for novel separations strategies. Current position: associate professor of chemistry, University of Pennsylvania Education: B.S., chemistry, Michigan Technological University; Ph.D., chemistry, Texas A&M University
AWARDS
Schelter on what gets him inspired:
“For me, creativity stems from the excitement of new and unexpected results and working with students to uncover their meaning. It’s thrilling to make connections between new and established observations through the isolation of new compounds and making observations about them. It’s also great fun to think about how such observations can move us toward broader goals.” What his colleagues say: “I give
my highest recommendation in support of Eric’s nomination for this award. He has become a leader in f-element chemistry and is rapidly becoming a leader within the broader subject of inorganic chemistry. I can think of no other young inorganic chemist who is more deserving of this recognition.”— James M. Boncella, Los Alamos National Laboratory
JOEL HENRY HILDEBRAND AWARD IN THE THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL CHEMISTRY OF LIQUIDS: KENNETH S. SCHWEIZER Sponsor: ExxonMobil Research &
Engineering Citation: For the pioneering development of microscopic predictive and unified theories of the structure, phase behavior, and slow dynamics of complex liquids, glasses, and gels. Current position:
G. Ronald & Margaret H. Morris Professor of Materials Science, professor of chemistry and chemical and biomolecular engineering, University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign Education: B.S., physics, Drexel University; Ph.D., physics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Schweizer on challenges in his work: “Working at the interface of physics,
chemistry, and materials science requires an appreciation of the scientific language, style, and motivations of each community. Acquiring this has been important for pursu-
ing the goal of creating predictive theoretical approaches for interdisciplinary problems that are relevant to experiment. It also guides my search for the optimal balance between rigor and practical usefulness, the chemical versus physical aspects, and simplicity versus complexity.” What his colleagues say: “Ken’s main strength has been to creatively build on techniques from the field of simple liquids and qualitatively generalize them, for the first time, to successfully describe the richer behavior exhibited by complex fluids and polymeric systems.”—David Reichman, Columbia University
ALFRED BADER AWARD IN BIOINORGANIC OR BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY: EDWARD I. SOLOMON Sponsor: Alfred R. Bader Fund Citation: For developing spectro-
scopic methods and defining electronic structure contributions to function in electron transfer and dioxygen activation and reduction by copper and iron metalloenzymes. Current position:
GEORGE & CHRISTINE SOSNOVSKY AWARD FOR CANCER RESEARCH: JUSWINDER SINGH Sponsor: George & Christine Sosnovsky Endowment Fund Citation: For pioneering the development of targeted covalent drugs that are having a transformative impact on the treatment of cancer patients. Current position:
founder and chief scientific officer, Ankaa Therapeutics Education: B.S., biochemistry, Sussex University; Ph.D., computer-assisted drug design, University of London Singh on what gets him inspired: “I get goosebumps thinking that I may be able to develop drugs for patients in desperate need for new therapies. I follow the Pauling principle to ‘have lots of ideas and throw away the bad ones.’ My preference is for ideas that challenge existing dogma since their impact will be greater if you are right. And I love working with others on the execution of the idea since it’s the most difficult part and it’s where small companies excel.” What his colleagues say: “Dr. Singh’s scholarly, rational, and strategic approach to drug design has been validated, and breakthrough drugs are giving hope to patients struggling with deadly cancers. Through his vision, passion, and dedication, Dr. Singh has discovered a new class of therapeutics that has a major impact on extending the lives of cancer patients.”—Celia Schiffer, University of Massachusetts Medical School CEN.ACS.ORG
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Monroe E. Spaght Professor of Chemistry, Stanford University; professor of photon science, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Education: B.S., chemistry, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Ph.D., chemistry, Princeton University Solomon on his current scientific goals: “I want to understand the general
principles of O2 activation by Cu and Fe metalloenzyme active sites and how these relate to parallel active sites in heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis. Also how the ironoxo intermediates in heme enzymes relate to those in nonheme iron enzymes and how the different active sites used by nature in the reduction of O2 to water enable their oxidase versus proton pumping functions.” What his colleagues say: “Ed Solomon has enormously impacted the depth, breadth, and eminence of bioinorganic chemistry by bringing spectroscopic methods and electronic structural-bonding insights to both protein-metal and synthetic model chemistries of numerous other research groups.”—Kenneth Karlin, Johns Hopkins University
ACS AWARD FOR CREATIVE WORK IN FLUORINE CHEMISTRY: STEVEN H. STRAUSS Sponsor: Juhua Group Technology Center, China Citation: For the synthesis and application of highly fluorinated superweak anions and structural and spectroscopic characterization of perfluoroalkylated fullerenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Current position: professor of chemis-
try, Colorado State University Education: B.A., chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College; M.S., Ph.D., inorganic chemistry, Northwestern University Strauss on his biggest research challenge: “Becoming
a ‘self-taught’ fluorine chemist is probably the biggest challenge I have had in my career. Handling fluorine and highly-fluorinated reactive compounds effectively and safely requires specialized equipment, knowledge, and skill, and most fluorine chemists receive years of formal training in the laboratories of senior fluorine chemists. I became a fluorine chemist years after getting my Ph.D. because I became interested in studying extremely reactive cations, which required the synthesis of highly fluorinated, weakly coordinating anions.” What his colleagues say: “Strauss is one of the few chemists who has worked in both organic and inorganic chemistry and has also spanned both fundamental studies and applied chemistry. He truly has contributed to the areas of synthesis, spectroscopy, and the technological development of fluorine chemistry.”—Karl O. Christe, University of Southern California
E. V. MURPHREE AWARD IN INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY: MICHAEL THACKERAY Sponsor: ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Co. Citation: For life-long contributions to the scientific research, discovery, and technological development of lithium battery electrode materials. Current position:
Distinguished Fellow and senior scientist, Chemical Sciences & Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory Education: B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., chemistry, University of Cape Town, South Africa Thackeray on what gets his creative juices flowing: “I am motivated by doing
useful, creative science and driving technologies forward, particularly for the benefit of
humanity. As a young scientist, during the first international oil crisis in the mid-1970s, when the price of oil and gasoline quadrupled, I was made aware of the need for advanced battery technologies to power electric vehicles to lessen the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. Today, the societal and economic urgency to find advanced batteries is even greater to help enable the reduction of CO2 emissions and global warming.” What his colleagues say: “The adoption of Thackeray’s discoveries and innovations in battery materials have begun to impact society significantly. Not only are his lithium ion materials having a direct impact on the adoption of electric vehicles across the globe, but they are also impacting our ability to communicate with one another through use in personal portable electronics. They will ultimately help enable the adoption of wind and solar generation of electricity.”—Jeffrey P. Chamberlain, Argonne National Laboratory
AHMED ZEWAIL AWARD IN ULTRAFAST SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: ANDREI TOKMAKOFF Sponsor: Ahmed Zewail Endowment Fund established by the Newport Corp. Citation: For his contributions to the development of coherent two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy and its application to equilibrium and non-equilibrium molecular dynamics. Current position: Henry G. Gale Distinguished Service Professor, University of Chicago Education: B.S., chemistry, California State University, Sacramento; Ph.D., chemistry, Stanford University
entific role models are those people that have stuck to their personal research goals through decades of ups and downs.” What his colleagues say: “Andrei’s work is truly pioneering. He is one of two or three people in the world who have set the stage for a new field of optical spectroscopy, and he is the major actor on that stage. His experimental and theoretical work has changed the way we think about a variety of important and timely problems.”—Michael Fayer, Stanford University
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Sponsor: Thermo Fisher Scientific Citation: For being a teacher of the ab-
solute highest caliber who constantly challenges her students, teaches with passion and inventiveness, and accepts nothing less than excellence from them. Current position:
chemistry teacher, Detroit Country Day School, Beverly Hills, Mich.; founder and CEO, Alchemie Education: B.S., chemistry, B.S., education, University of Minnesota; M.A., chemistry, Wayne State University Winter on what gets her creative juices flowing: “For the past two years,
I have been transforming the knowledge gained over 20 years teaching high school chemistry into mobile puzzle games for organic chemistry. Creating the balance between boredom and difficulty is the challenge for any game designer. It’s been an amazing process building these games for organic chemistry, which students will play just for fun!” What her colleagues say: “Julia’s classroom teaches far more than chemistry. Her students learn to write persuasively, debate constructively, and think on their feet.”—Tim Bearden, Detroit Country Day School
SOLID STATE FELLOWSHIP TO ˘ MIRCEA DINCA Mircea Dinc˘ a, a principal investigator in
Tokmakoff on his role models: “My sci-
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JAMES BRYANT CONANT AWARD IN HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY TEACHING: JULIA WINTER
JANUARY 4, 2016
the department of chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is the winner of the 2015 ACS ExxonMobil Solid State Faculty Fellowship. The award, supported by the ExxonMobil Foundation and administered by the ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry, recognizes significant contributions to solid-state chemistry by an untenured faculty member at a U.S. institution. Dinc˘a is studying the electronic and chemical properties of metal organic frameworks. He will be honored during the 2016 spring ACS national meeting in San Diego. ◾
