researchers in ultrafast science at present, both in terms of the novel experimental techniques employed, and in his role in uncovering new understanding of energy and nanomaterials and interfaces, with potentially significant societal as well as scientific impact. He is also a great mentor for the students and postdocs working in his group.”—Henry Kapteyn, University of Colorado, Boulder, and KMLabs
highly challenging questions and opened new areas for investigation by the chemistry community. For example, his surface chemistry work showcased the power of carbenes as functional handles for surface elaboration. Alex also developed polymer metal-organic cage gels, which merged previously disconnected fields of metal-organic cage chemistry and metallogels.”—Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Carnegie Mellon University
Nobel Laureate Signature Aleksandr V. Zhukhovitskiy Award for Graduate Education Current position: LSRF Merck Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, in Chemistry: Aleksandr V. Berkeley Zhukhovitskiy (student) Education: B.A., chemistry, Northand Jeremiah A. Johnson western University; M.S., chemistry, (preceptor) Northwestern Sponsor: Avantor Performance Materials Citation: For pioneering contributions to persistent carbene surface chemistry and the development of materials that bridge polymer networks and supramolecular cage chemistry. What their colleagues say: “Alex’s outstanding, highly productive Ph.D. research in the Johnson lab has contributed profoundly to surface chemistry and polymer network chemistry. In both fields, Alex’s innovative work addressed
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American Chemical Society
University; Ph.D., chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Zhukhovitskiy on his scientific role model and why: “I have numerous scientific role models, including my scientific mentors—beginning with my father, who is also a chemist.
ACS NEWS
Beyond my mentors and my chemistry idols (for example, Hermann Staudinger), I admire such scientists as Richard Feynman and Noam Chomsky for their outspokenness in the face of convention, constitutional curiosity coupled with a genuine knack for and love of teaching, and perhaps most importantly, a profound preoccupation with ethics.”
Jeremiah A. Johnson Current position: associate professor of chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Education: B.S., biomedical engineering and chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis; Ph.D., chemistry, Columbia University Johnson on what gets his creative juices flowing: “Being around brilliant colleagues, including students like Alex, postdocs, faculty, etc. Sometimes, my most creative chemistry-related thoughts occur when I’m playing my guitar, singing in the shower, or dreaming.”
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