Concentrates Chemistry news from the week
▸ Highlights Revisiting what went wrong in a clinical trial tragedy Two teams solve structure of diabetes drug target Crowd-based peer review passes test Thirsty MOF sucks more water from the air Blast kills 10 at Chinese chemical facility IBM breakthrough leads to first 5-nm chip BASF invests in China 25,000 compounds added to identification database
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CREDIT: TODD COOPER/EUGENE WEEKLY (RICHMOND); GERALDINE RICHMOND/U OREGON (OIL-WATER INTERFACE)
AWARDS
Geraldine Richmond named Priestley Medalist University of Oregon chemist honored for studies of water interfaces and global promotion of chemistry In the early 1970s, Geraldine L. Richmond— Priestley Medal, the American Chemical then a math major—did exceptionally well Society’s highest honor, in 2018. on an analytical chemistry exam and was “I’m honored and especially gratified to rewarded with a job offer from the profesbe selected for both my research achievesor. It was a lucky break for the chemistry ments and my work in developing countries enterprise. to increase their scientific capacity,” RichRichmond went on to develop specmond says. troscopic and theoretical techniques for “Her research on surfaces and interfaces studying the molecular structure and using nonlinear laser-based spectroscopy dynamics of water-oil and water-air interis groundbreaking,” says Vicki H. Grassian, faces, which she continues to investigate a chemistry professor at the University of as the Presidential Chair in Science and a California, San Diego. “Results from her labprofessor of chemistry at the University oratory are instrumental in understanding of Oregon. She also became passionate everything from corrosion science to atmoabout developing the chemistry workforce spheric chemistry. I have been inspired by worldwide. both her and her research my entire career.” To recognize “her pioneering contribuFor her scientific prowess, Richmond has tions to our understanding of the molecreceived the National Medal of Science and ular properties of liquid several ACS and American surfaces and her extraRichmond’s research focuses Physical Society awards. ordinary service to chemin part on understanding the Richmond is also the istry on a global level,” behavior of water at oil-water founding and current Richmond will receive the interfaces. director of COACh, a grassroots organization formed in the late 1990s to promote career advancement for women scientists and engineers. More than 18,000 scientists worldwide have attended COACh career-building workshops since the organization began. Additionally, Richmond has served as science envoy for the Lower Mekong countries for the U.S. State Department, as president of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, and as a member of the Oregon State Board of Higher Education. She is currently a member of the National Science Board, the governing body of the National Science Foundation. “I can think of no other chemist—at any age—who has achieved the scientific stature of Richmond and also given so much of her time and energy to ensuring that all who seek a career in chemistry have the opportunity to achieve success,” says Cynthia J. Burrows, a chemistry professor at the University of Utah. “As a leader in and out of the lab, Geri Richmond is an outstanding choice to receive the Priestley Medal,” says ACS Executive Director and CEO Thomas Connelly. Richmond received a B.S. in chemistry from Kansas State University in 1975 and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1980. In a Kansas State undergraduate calculus class of several hundred students, she was one of only a handful of women, she recalled for C&EN in 2013. “Because I didn’t want to stick out as female, I was notorious for wearing overalls and hair tied back in a bandana,” she said. She also wore men’s-style shoes. Richmond will be the fourth woman to receive the Priestley Medal since the award was established in 1923.—JYLLIAN
KEMSLEY JUNE 12, 2017 | CEN.ACS.ORG | C&EN
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