ACS NEWS NATIONAL AWARDS
2017 ACS national award winners Recipients are honored for contributions of major significance to chemistry EDITED BY LINDA WANG
T
ACS Award in Separations Science & Technology: Rakesh Agrawal Sponsor: Waters Corp. Citation: For novel and fundamental insights in the synthesis of energy efficient distillation and membranes based separation processes and their application in numerous industrial plants.
Current position: Winthrop E. Stone Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University Education: B.S., chemical engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur; M.S., chemical engineering, University of Delaware; Sc.D., chemical engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Agrawal on what he hopes to accomplish in the next decade: “I am energized toward finding solutions that will enable affordable sustainable energy use by the human race for any foreseeable future. This includes both harnessing energy and using it efficiently. I am committed to developing technology for low-cost solar cells. Another goal is to develop separation processes and tools that will make it easy to identify and design low-energy separation processes.” What his colleagues say: “Rakesh Agrawal has made more advances in the analysis of chemical separations than anyone else living. As such, his ideas have
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transformed the chemical industry.”—Edward L. Cussler, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
ACS Award in Applied Polymer Science: Zhenan Bao Sponsor: Eastman Chemical Citation: For pioneering work on the design, processing, and applications of polymer electronic materials for flexible and stretchable electronics.
Current position: W.W. Lee Professor of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University Education: Ph.D., chemistry, University of Chicago
Bao on what gets her creative juices flowing: “My inspiration comes from my interactions with my students and fellow colleagues. I often find myself swirling with new ideas and possibilities after our meetings and discussions; after all, most of these individuals are world experts in their respective fields. Their input and advice are invaluable to me to be creative and enthusiastic in what I do.” What her colleagues say: “Professor Zhenan Bao has been on the faculty of the chemical engineering department at Stanford University for the past decade. During this period, she has emerged as the most
influential researcher in the exploding field of polymer electronics. She is also credited as a role model for younger scientists.”— Qinghuang Lin, IBM
Gabor A. Somorjai Award for Creative Research in Catalysis: John E. Bercaw Sponsor: Gabor A. & Judith K. Somorjai Endowment Fund Citation: For the elucidation of detailed mechanisms of organometallic reactions that comprise catalytic cycles. Current position: Centennial Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, California Institute of Technology Education: B.S., chemistry, North Carolina State University; Ph.D., chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Bercaw on his scientific role model: “Harry Gray is one of my scientific role models. In addition to watching with amazement his scientific accomplishments, I have marveled at his enthusiasm, modesty, generosity, and love of interacting with students. He is truly a great man.” What his colleagues say: “Bercaw has made path-breaking contributions to developing and elucidating new homogenous catalytic reactions. His fundamental work in olefin polymerization catalysis and catalytic alkane oxidation is without equal.”— Maurice Brookhart, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Peter Debye Award in Physical Chemistry: Bruce J. Berne Sponsor: DuPont Citation: For pioneering theoretical and computer simulation studies of liquid state
CREDIT: COURTESY OF RAKESH AGRAWAL; JEFFERY TOK/STANFORD SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING (BAO); BOB PAZ (BERCAW)
he following vignettes highlight the recipients of national awards administered by the American Chemical Society for 2017. Profiles of the Arthur C. Cope Award and Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award recipients will appear in the Jan. 9 issue of C&EN. A profile of Tobin Marks, the 2017 Priestley Medalist, will appear in the April 3 issue, along with his award address. The award recipients featured here will be honored at a ceremony at the spring ACS national meeting in San Diego, April 2–6.
and biomolecular systems, and for dramatically increasing the impact of these methods in physical chemistry. Current position: Higgins Professor of Chemistry, Columbia University Education: B.S., chemistry, City University of New York; Ph.D., chemical physics, University of Chicago
CREDIT: COURTESY OF BRUCE BERNE; COURTESY OF JOHN BRAUMAN; ROD SEARCEY, STANFORD, CALIFORNIA (CLARK); COURTESY OF D. RICHARD COBB; COURTESY OF STANLEY CROOKE
Berne on what he hopes to accomplish in the next decade: “I hope to play an important role in drug discovery, especially with respect to anticancer drugs. I have lost too many loved ones and friends to cancer, and in the time remaining I would be thrilled to make a significant contribution to this field. I believe that there is considerable room for methodological advances to make a major impact. It is a hotly contested area.” What his colleagues say: “No scientist is more responsible for the successful evolution of theory with computation than Bruce Berne. He developed ground-breaking theoretical and computational methods, creatively combined, to solve numerous important problems in the field of physical chemistry.—Gregory A. Voth, University of Chicago
Charles Lathrop Parsons Award: John I. Brauman Sponsor: ACS Citation: For his deep expertise, sustained leadership, and unselfish service to the profession via scientific journal editorships, university and national committee chairmanships, and learned society executive positions.
Current position: J.G. Jackson–C.J. Wood Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus, Stanford University. Education: B.S., chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Ph.D., chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
Brauman on what motivates him to work in public service: “I feel a responsibility to give something back in response for the all of the things that I have received: financial support from my
graduate school and postdoctoral fellowships, as well as support for my independent research. Also, the things that I have done that count as public service have been very interesting and intellectually stimulating.” What his colleagues say: “It is abundantly clear that Brauman has made massive and highly significant contributions to public service in a variety of venues across the nation. Amazingly, he has done all this in addition to carrying out an impressive and well recognized chemistry research and teaching program.”—William E. Moerner, Stanford University
Glenn T. Seaborg Award for Nuclear Chemistry: David L. Clark Sponsor: ACS Division of Nuclear Chemistry & Technology Citation: For innovative systematic studies of the fundamental chemistry of actinide elements using novel experimental techniques that give new insights into chemical bonding of 5f electrons. Current position: laboratory fellow and program director, Los Alamos National Laboratory Education: B.S., chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle; Ph.D., inorganic chemistry, Indiana University Clark on what he is most proud of: “I helped identify the chemical behavior of plutonium in contaminated soils and concretes at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site. Good scientific understanding in the public interest helped bring clarity and focus to real issues of plutonium migration at the site. This, in turn, allowed the most extensive cleanup in the history of Superfund legislation to finish a year ahead of schedule, ultimately resulting in billions of dollars in taxpayer savings.” What his colleagues say: “Clark has made seminal contributions in synthesis, spectroscopy, chemical reactivity, environmental behavior, and electronic structure of actinide complexes. Simultaneously, he has provided scientific insight and leadership in nuclear areas of critical importance to the nation.”—William J. Evans, University of California, Irvine
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Award for Volunteer Service to the American Chemical Society: D. Richard Cobb Sponsor: ACS Citation: For his exemplary service to
the ACS as a leader at the local, regional, and national levels, which has had a wide-ranging impact on the society.
Current position: retired from Eastman Kodak Company
Cobb on what he hopes to accomplish in the next decade: “In whatever leadership role I have, my hope would be to be able to look behind me and see a line of younger people excited and willing to step into my shoes. I hope I can give these people the hope and spirit to fight for what they want and to go for it. Once I see them taking on the roles, then I’ll know my 10 years have been a success.” What his colleagues say: “Richard is very enthusiastic and has a tremendous passion for the American Chemical Society and nurturing the next generations of professionals. He has mentored multiple ACS volunteers into becoming highly active in ACS governance at the national and local level, as well as the broader scientific community within ACS.”—Mary K. Engelman, Eastman Chemical Company
E. B. Hershberg Award for Important Discoveries in Medicinally Active Substances: Stanley T. Crooke Sponsor: Merck Research Laboratories Citation: For his work as principal inventor of antisense drug discovery. Antisense is a new paradigm in drug discovery for virtually all targets and disease states.
Current position: founder, chairman of the board, and chief executive officer, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Education: B.S., pharmacy, Butler University; Ph.D., pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine; M.D., Baylor College of Medicine JANUARY 2, 2017 | CEN.ACS.ORG | C&EN
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Crooke on what gets his creative juices flowing: “I have been interested
in understanding the molecular mechanisms by which drugs work. The questions we are able to ask today are sufficient enough to be exhilarating and are all the stimulus I need, but I have an even more compelling motivation: the patients we hope to serve and their needs.” What his colleagues say: “Crooke is the father of ‘antisense’ technology, a new and ingenious platform to address many a dreaded disease in ways that many considered practically impossible only a few years ago. His perseverance, belief, resolve, and creative genius in promoting and developing this new platform has led to antisense-based drugs that dig much deeper in the genomic information and allow hitherto unexplored ways to address diseases not attainable by other more conventional drug therapies.”— Stephen Hanessian, University of Montreal
ACS Award in Organometallic Chemistry: Marcetta Y. Darensbourg Sponsor: Dow Chemical Co. Foundation Citation: For insight and application of the fundamental principles of organometallic chemistry to hydrogenase enzyme active sites and synthetic analogues as foundational bioorganometallic molecules.
Current position: Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Texas A&M University Education: B.S., chemistry, Union College, Kentucky; Ph.D., inorganic chemistry, University of Illinois
Darensbourg on her biggest research challenge: “Funding. While I applaud our grant application/peer review process, the insecurity inherent in it has been problematic—for everyone. It seems that the most wonderful opportunities for coworkers appear when the funds are not there.” What her colleagues say: “Marcetta’s excellent work has had a profound impact by extending organometallic chemistry from the familiar confines of catalysis into the bio-arena—a domain where most classically trained organometallic chemists, previously, dare not venture.”—Gregory H. Robinson, University of Georgia
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Ronald Breslow Award for Achievement in Biomimetic Chemistry: Benjamin G. Davis Sponsor: Ronald Breslow Award Endowment Citation: For the development of selective and benign bond-forming strategies applied to biology, enabling functional mimicry of synthetic biomolecules, bioconjugates, cells, and viruses in vitro and in vivo. Current position: professor of chemistry, University of Oxford, U.K. Education: B.A., chemistry, Keble College, Oxford; D.Phil., organic chemistry, Keble College, Oxford
What Davis hopes to accomplish in the next decade: “It’s a cliché to say that, ‘It’s never been a better time to be a chemist,’ but I genuinely think that this is true in the context of chemistry driving a true understanding of molecular mechanisms in biology, medicine, and plant science. The tools and techniques that we and others use and develop now allow one to genuinely consider what I would call a ‘real’ synthetic biology to come to fruition—one can now imagine application of synthetic methodology to bond-breaking and bond-making inside living systems to study and modulate their function. We see this as an exciting path to explore.” What his colleagues say: “Professor Davis is a superstar in the field of biomimicry, having developed elegant chemical methods for generating biomolecule analogs with enhanced therapeutic function as well as technologies for exploring and engineering metabolism in biological systems.”—Carolyn Bertozzi, Stanford University
ACS Award in Pure Chemistry and the National Fresenius Award: Neal K. Devaraj National Fresenius Award Sponsor: Phi Lambda Upsilon, the National Chemistry Honor Society Citation: For his outstanding contributions toward the development of tetrazine ligations. Award in Pure Chemistry Sponsor: Al-
pha Chi Sigma Fraternity and the Alpha Chi Sigma Educational Foundation Citation: For his outstanding accomplishments in bioconjugation chemistry, which include the development of new reactions for cellular imaging and the assembly of artificial membranes. Current position: associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, University of California, San Diego Education: B.S., chemistry and biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Ph.D., chemistry, Stanford University
Devaraj on what he hopes to accomplish in the next decade: “I am very interested in studies at the interface of nonliving and living systems and believe there are fascinating questions we can ask. For instance, how can nonliving sets of molecules develop into self-reproducing evolvable materials? Can we design hybrid systems where biochemical elements seamlessly interact with and control synthetic structures? I hope we can better understand some of these problems over the next decade.” What his colleagues say: “His clever mechanistic engineering approach has the potential to reveal fundamental principles at the core of some of the most intriguing questions about the chemical origin of life on Earth and may aid us in understanding how sets of reactive small molecules led to the first living cells, a problem in chemistry that is still a virtual ‘black box.’ ”— Partho Ghosh, University of California, San Diego
ACS Award for Team Innovation: Robert A. DeVries, Philip Garrou, Carol E. Mohler, Theodore M. (Ted) Stokich Jr., and Eric S. Moyer Sponsor: ACS Corporation Associates Citation: For participating on a Dow Chemical team in the 1990s that developed a high-performance polymeric material, benzocyclobutene, which enabled the microelectronics industry to miniaturize integrated circuit packaging. What their colleagues say: “These individuals brought together an ensemble of complementary skills from a variety of sci-
CREDIT: COURTESY OF MARCETTA DARENSBOU; COURTESY OF BENJAMIN DAVIS; COURTESY OF NEAL DEVARAJ
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CREDIT: COURTESY OF ROBERT DEVRIES; COURTESY OF PHILIP GARROU; COURTESY OF CAROL MOHLER; COURTESY OF TED STOKICH; COURTESY OF E RIC MOYER; COURTESY OF PETER J. DUNN; COURTESY OF PINGYUN FENG
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ACS Award for Affordable Green Chemistry: Peter J. Dunn
entific disciplines including organic chemistry, polymer science, photochemistry, analytical science, and materials science. As a team, their innovations led to the development and commercialization of a photodefinable bisbenzocyclobutene (BCB) interlayer dielectric material, which became an enabling material for the electronics industry for many years, and a foundational product of Dow Electronic Materials’ cyclotene product line.”—David S. Bem, former R&D vice president of advanced materials, Dow; now at PPG
Carol E. Mohler
Robert A. DeVries
scientific role models. They include senior research fellows that I work with who inspire me by their breadth of technical knowledge and ability to synthesize diverse information, my coworkers who are top-notch experts in their technical fields, and academic partners who tackle technical challenges from a different perspective.”
chemistry lead, Pfizer Education: B.Sc., chemistry, University of Wolverhampton; Ph.D., chemistry, Imperial College of Science & Technology
Theodore M. (Ted) Stokich Jr.
Dunn on what gets his creative juices flowing: “I have a strong interest in bioca-
Current position: consultant, R. DeVries Consulting
Education: B.S., chemistry, Michigan State University; Ph.D., organic chemistry, Michigan State University
DeVries on what gets his creative juices flowing: “I get fired up about ideas when a diverse team has defined success and starts brainstorming. I’ve worked in chemistry, biotechnology, polymers, engineering, and catalysis. I am intrigued by emerging medical and biological science that draws from these fields, and I want to continue contributing through consulting and working with startups.”
Philip Garrou Current position: sole proprietor, Microelectronic Consultants Education: B.S., chemistry, North Carolina State University; Ph.D., chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington Garrou on what gets his creative juices flowing: “Besides my legal work as an expert witness and my weekly blog for Solid State Technology ‘Insights from the Leading Edge,’ I find my work with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) the most satisfying. I used to be one of those who complained about the programs that the government was funding and asking who was making those decisions. Now that I am on the inside, as a subject matter expert, I am having my input into the programs that are paid for by all of us.”
Current position: principal research scientist, Dow Chemical
Education: B.S., chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Ph.D., physical chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison Mohler on her scientific role model and why: “I have many different
Current position: retired scientist, Dow Chemical
Education: B.S., chemistry, University of Minnesota, Duluth; Ph.D., analytical chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Stokich on his biggest research challenge: “There are many. Possibly, I was most obsessively devoted to the development of an algorithm using digital methods, and prime numbers for sampling intervals, for the extraction of systematic signals from extremely high noise environments (e.g., with S/N ratios as low as one part in 10 to the 10th). It worked.”
Sponsor: Dow Chemical Company, endowed by Rohm and Haas Citation: For leading the Pfizer Green Chemistry Program and receiving significant external recognition, including for the greener total synthesis of sildenafil citrate. Current position: retired green
talysis, in particular adding new reactions to the biocatalyst tool box. I believe that making full use of nature’s own chemical catalysts is a key part of a sustainable chemical future.” What his colleagues say: “Peter’s advocacy for green chemistry through forums such as the ACS Green Chemistry Institute Pharmaceutical Roundtable helped lead to the adoption of green chemistry principles that have become ubiquitous throughout the pharma industry.”—Rod MacKenzie, Pfizer
F. Albert Cotton Award in Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry: Pingyun Feng Sponsor: F. Albert Cotton Endowment
Eric S. Moyer
Fund
Current position: senior technology manager, LORD Corp. Education: B.S., chemistry, Houghton College; Ph.D., polymer chemistry, Virginia Tech
Citation: For her advances in the synthesis of metal chalcogenide clusters and her crystal engineering of porous semiconductors, coordination polymers, and photocatalysts.
Moyer on his scientific role model and why: “I don’t know if I have a single role model, but rather many role models that have influenced me during my career. However, the person that had the most influence on me becoming a chemist was my high school chemistry teacher, Mr. Sobelman.”
Current position: professor of chemistry, University of California, Riverside Education: B.S., chemical engineering, Taiyuan Institute of Technology; M.S., organic chemistry, Rochester Institute of Technology; Ph.D., inorganic and materials chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara JANUARY 2, 2017 | CEN.ACS.ORG | C&EN
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Feng on her biggest research challenge: “Each synthetic system has
its unique challenge. But it all comes down to finding the right reaction conditions to synthesize the materials I want to see or to grow crystals large enough for single-crystal X-ray diffraction.” What her colleagues say: “When Professor Feng enters a field, she brings fresh ideas and new approaches to it from both the inorganic and organic fields. She might initially follow some of the established synthetic methods, but very quickly she zeroes in on the challenges and develops her own strategy with results that typically significantly alter the landscape of that field.”— Galen D. Stucky, University of California, Santa Barbara
Francis P. GarvanJohn M. Olin Medal: Barbara J. Finlayson-Pitts Sponsor: Francis P. Garvan-John M. Olin Medal Endowment Citation: For her dedication to serving the chemical research community and for her inspirational work on interpreting science for the general public. Current position: UCI Distinguished Professor and director of the AirUCI Institute, University of California, Irvine Education: B.Sc., chemistry, Trent University; M.S., chemistry, University of California, Riverside; Ph.D., chemistry, University of California, Riverside
Finlayson-Pitts on what gets her creative juices flowing: “Getting some completely unexpected experimental results in the lab, thinking it might be artifacts but, after ruling that out with additional experiments, figuring out that the results are telling you about exciting new science. A key part of this has been wonderful collaborations with theorists, scientists, and engineers in other fields who were very patient in entertaining my crazy ideas and diving in to probe them in different ways. And a really essential part is the talented, smart, articulate, and dedicated group of students, postdocs, and researchers in my group over many years who have learned not to run screaming when I say, ‘This should be an easy experiment,’ which often ends up leading us
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into months or years of new puzzles and directions.” What her colleagues say: “In the field of atmospheric chemistry, she is at the very top, in terms of contributions, impact, and creativity, worldwide. She has inspired a generation of young female chemists to go far and to be leaders. Perhaps most importantly, she has advanced a field of applied chemistry by working on the fundamentals, and making sure that what we know, and our pursuit of predictability in our science, is grounded in firm fundamental understanding of the nature of chemical transformations.”—Paul Shepson, Purdue University
ACS Award in Surface Chemistry: Cynthia M. Friend Sponsor: ACS Division of Colloid & Surface Chemistry Citation: For her paradigmatic developments in the mechanistic understanding of oxygen-assisted catalytic cycles on gold surfaces and their implementation to nanoporous gold catalysts under realistic conditions. Current position: T.W. Richards Professor of Chemistry, Harvard University Education: B.S., chemistry, University of California, Davis; Ph.D., chemistry, University of California, Berkeley Friend on what gets her creative juices flowing: “Discussions with my research group and with colleagues with whom I collaborate are my biggest source of inspiration. I also need free space and time to stimulate creativity. Outside activities, like riding my bike to work, walking, or playing golf all help me freely associate ideas.” What her colleagues say: “Her foundational studies of surface reactivity led to a predictive framework for the catalytic function of Au and Ag and their alloys. This work has propelled the field of gold catalysis in new directions by establishing overarching principles governing catalytic activity and selectivity. Professor Friend has distinguished herself by innovative surface science research, plus exemplary leadership in, service to, and teaching of this field.”—Charles T. Campbell, University of Washington, Seattle
ACS Award in Industrial Chemistry: Jane Frommer Sponsor: ACS Division of Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Citation: For pioneering the use of STM/ AFM in organic materials, for fundamental studies of the solution state of electronically conducting polymers, and for extensive community involvement. Current position: senior technical staff member, IBM Research, Almaden Education: B.S., chemistry, Tufts University; Ph.D., chemistry, California Institute of Technology
Frommer on her biggest research challenge: “I am motivated by questioning the obvious and probing the nonobvious. For example, in the early days of scanning tunneling microscopy, the instrument builders—engineers and physicists—focused on imaging metal crystal lattices. I proposed that the real potential of the method lay in organic molecules. The proposal was met with arguments that organics defied tunneling dynamics. But collaboration with the rare willing instrumentalist paid off with stunning images of organic monolayers clearly distinguishing between hydrocarbon, aromatic, and nitrile functionalities in substrate-driven assembly not seen before.” What her colleagues say: “In addition to Jane’s contributions to the industrial research environment as evidenced by her dozens of patents, her technical and outreach accomplishments, and her services with ACS and NSF, her presence as a role model for women in science makes her a prime candidate for the ACS Award in Industrial Chemistry.”—Charles Wade, retired from IBM Research
Elias J. Corey Award for Outstanding Original Contribution in Organic Synthesis by a Young Investigator: Neil K. Garg Sponsor: Pfizer Endowment Fund Citation: For breakthroughs in synthetic methodology and exceptional achievements in natural product synthesis. Current position: professor of chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles Education: B.S., chemistry, New York
CREDIT: COURTESY OF BARBARA FINLAYSON-PITTS; ROBERT MADIX (FRIEND); COURTESY OF JANE FROMMER
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University; Ph.D., organic chemistry, California Institute of Technology
CREDIT: LINDSEY GARG (GARG); CALTECH (GRUBBS); COURTESY OF MARTIN GRUEBELE; COURTESY OF THOMAS HAGER; PATRICK MELVIN (HAZARI)
Garg on what gets his creative juices flowing: “I am a total synthesis chemist by training, and I love natural products. The process of dissecting a complex small molecule provides endless intellectual stimulation. I also enjoy thinking about problems in synthetic methodology and how to exploit functional groups that have long been neglected. Additionally, I get excited about topics in science education and, in particular, how to better engage students in chemistry.” What his colleagues say: “Garg is the real deal: a leading scholar, educator, innovator, and statesperson. What I find differentiating in his age cohort is his impressive ability to produce major innovative contributions to synthetic methodology, total synthesis, and mechanistic chemistry with an eye toward targets of synthetic and potential societal value.”—Paul Wender, Stanford University
George A. Olah Award in Hydrocarbon or Petroleum Chemistry: Robert H. Grubbs Sponsor: George A. Olah Award Endowment Citation: For his fundamental work and revolutionary contributions for converting hydrocarbons to new molecules, polymers, and materials using olefin metathesis catalysis. Current position: Victor & Elizabeth Atkins Professor of Chemistry, California Institute of Technology Education: B.S., chemistry, University of Florida; M.S., chemistry, University of Florida; Ph.D., chemistry, Columbia University
Grubbs on what he hopes to accomplish in the next decade: “Survive—to solve a few more problems.”
What his colleagues say: “Grubbs has made fundamental advances in the development of new methods and physical organic understanding that have ultimately revolutionized the way in which new materials,
polymers, and novel molecular constructs are synthesized in the fields of hydrocarbon and petroleum chemistry.”—John Bercaw, California Institute of Technology
Nakanishi Prize: Martin Gruebele Sponsor: Nakanishi Prize Endowment Citation: For his landmark spectroscopic studies showing how proteins initiate their folding on ultrafast time scales and how they fold in individual living cells. Current position: James R. Eiszner Chair in Chemistry; professor of physics, biophysics, and computational biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Education: B.S., chemistry, University of California, Berkeley; Ph.D., chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
Gruebele on his biggest research challenge: “Research requires patience. I’ve had several cases where it took five to eight years to develop an instrument to where it could produce novel results about important problems like glassy dynamics or in-cell reactions of proteins. We live in a climate where everything needs to be commercializable immediately, and it’s just not always possible with the big scientific questions. Who would have guessed in 1915 that formulas based on general relativity theory would eventually end up being programmed into small hand-held wireless communications devices, called cell phones, to pin down their location?” What his colleagues say: “Martin Gruebele has brought a powerful intellect and expertise in modern experimental physical chemistry which, together with truly creative experiments, have had an enormous impact on advancing our understanding of protein folding and dynamics.”—William Eaton, National Institutes of Health
James T. Grady-James H. Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public: Thomas A. Hager Sponsor: ACS Citation: For displaying a magnificent range of scientific mastery that, time and
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again, has enabled him to demystify chemistry and other sciences for the public. Current position: courtesy associate professor of journalism and communication, University of Oregon Education: B.S., biology, Portland State University; M.S., medical microbiology and immunology, Oregon Health Sciences University; M.S., journalism, University of Oregon
Hager on what he hopes to accomplish in the next decade: “We’re entering new territory as a species, thanks in great part to our mastery of technology. How scientific research overlaps and interacts with politics, education, and the economy will, more than ever, drive further change. I will do what I can to bring the public some accurate context for understanding the science behind the world we are creating.” What his colleagues say: “Hager met Linus Pauling at an American Chemical Society national meeting in 1984. The encounter changed Tom’s life, and since then he has devoted himself to translating the intricacies of the ‘elemental science’ into delightful, engaging text that captivates readers and helps them better understand chemistry and its contributions to the world around us.”—Doug Dollemore, American Chemical Society
Harry Gray Award for Creative Work in Inorganic Chemistry by a Young Investigator: Nilay Hazari Sponsor: Gray Award Endowment Citation: For creative contributions to the elucidation of inorganic and organometallic reaction mechanisms.
Current position: professor of chemistry, Yale University Education: B.S., chemistry, University of Sydney; M.S., chemistry, University of Sydney; Ph.D., chemistry, Oxford University
Hazari on his scientific role models and why: “Professors Maurice Brookhart, Clark Landis, and Harry Gray—all three perform JANUARY 2, 2017 | CEN.ACS.ORG | C&EN
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rigorous, detailed, and thoughtful experiments and strive to understand how reactions proceed on a fundamental mechanistic level. Furthermore, they are scientists who value education and will make large sacrifices to support their students and colleagues.” What his colleagues say: “Hazari has established a remarkably broad, highly productive research program which is addressing forefront problems in inorganic chemistry and catalysis. His work is characterized by insight and imagination and has led to numerous unique and highly significant findings.”—Maurice Brookhart, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
ACS Award for Research at an Undergraduate Institution: Maria R. Hepel Sponsor: Research Corporation for Science Advancement Citation: For fostering and mentoring innovative undergraduate research in diverse fields of public concern related to human health, environmental monitoring and remediation, energy conversion, and nanotechnology. Current position: Distinguished SUNY Professor of Chemistry, SUNY Potsdam Education: M.S., chemistry, Jagiellonian University; Ph.D., chemistry, Jagiellonian University
Hepel on her biggest research challenge: “To combine experiences of different fields, such as chemistry, physics, molecular biology, medicine, and materials science, in a single interdisciplinary research project. It takes great efforts to undertake such projects and expand your knowledge and skills to the bordering areas of diverse fields, but it is highly rewarding and enables advancing science to new levels of understanding.” What her former students say: “She truly cares about student progress and is very concerned with her students’ professional development and future careers. She spends many hours in lab supervising students’ research projects, with an average of five to seven research students per semester. In addition, she has also introduced research projects into her analytical courses, exposing larger numbers of students to research.”—Matthew Fayette, former student
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George C. Pimentel Award in Chemical Education: Thomas A. Holme Sponsor: Cengage Learning and the ACS Division of Chemical Education Citation: For his pioneering work in developing curriculum materials for pre-engineering students and advancing our understanding of measurement of student learning in chemistry. Current position: professor of chemistry, Iowa State University Education: B.S., chemistry and physics, Loras College; Ph.D., chemistry, Rice University
Holme on what he hopes to accomplish in the next decade: “I hope to make important contributions to improved use of technology in the teaching of chemistry. This includes not only new applications of tools—some perhaps not yet invented—but more importantly devising measurements that tell us if and how these new technologies work to improve student learning. We have to get past the inclination to judge technology in the classroom based on ‘is it cool?’ and instead devise better tools to answer ‘does it work?’ ” What his colleagues say: “Tom’s vision for how to identify important indicators of student learning and create a process to achieve consensus amongst chemists has driven forward assessment and chemistry education. Because of his leadership as the director of the American Chemical Society Examinations Institute, the ACS exams have challenged chemistry faculty to move past measuring what is easily measured (plug-n-chug calculations) to measuring what is more valuable to know (conceptual understanding).”—Stacey L. Bretz, Miami University
ACS Award in Analytical Chemistry: Donald F. Hunt Sponsor: Battelle Memorial Institute Citation: For pioneering efforts to develop mass spectrometry methods and instrumentation that facilitated characterization of peptides and proteins and provided the foundation for the field of proteomics. Current position: University Professor of Chemistry & Pathology, University of Virginia Education: B.S., chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Ph.D., chemistry,
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Hunt on what he hopes to accomplish in the next decade: “Make a significant contribution to a cure for cancer.”
What his colleagues say: “Certainly, Don Hunt can be considered one of the best and/ or only people to find needles in the haystack. Being somewhat envious on his achievements, I used to say to the people in my lab, when a great paper came out from the Hunt lab: ‘What Don Hunt can do, only Don Hunt can do.’ ”—Albert J.R. Heck, Utrecht University
ACS Award for Encouraging Women into Careers in the Chemical Sciences: Judith M. Iriarte-Gross Sponsor: Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation
Citation: For her continued persistence and tireless efforts to level the playing field for women in chemistry and to inspire young women to major in chemistry. Current position: professor of chemistry and director of the Women in STEM Center, Middle Tennessee State University Education: B.S., chemistry, University of Maryland; M.S., inorganic chemistry, University of Maryland; Ph.D., inorganic chemistry, University of South Carolina
Iriarte-Gross on her scientific role models: “I was a nontraditional student and went back to college after seven years in the workforce. I could write a book about these role models who had confidence in me, who said that I could succeed, and who provided advice when I had questions. I want to give a special shout-out to my role models, which include my Ph.D. mentor, Jerry Odom, and to the women chemists of ACS, such as E. Ann Nalley, Donna Nelson, Ruth Woodall, Donna Dean, Diane Grob Schmidt, and more. I honor these role models by serving as a role model to young women who are exploring careers in the chemical sciences.” What her colleagues say: “I do not know anyone else who has invested so
CREDIT: COURTESY OF MARIA HEPEL; COURTESY OF THOMAS HOLME; COURTESY OF DONALD HUNT; COURTESY OF JUDITH IRIARTE-GROSS
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much time, effort, emotion, compassion, and mentoring toward young women to guarantee that they are not only represented in the chemical sciences, but are successful as well.”—E. Ann Nalley, Cameron University
Alfred Bader Award in Bioinorganic or Bioorganic Chemistry: Kim D. Janda Sponsor: Alfred R. Bader Fund Citation: For his ability to integrate the principles of chemistry, molecular biology, immunology, and neuropharmacology to create molecules engendered with both biological and chemical function.
CREDIT: SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE (JANDA); COLLEEN DUGAN (KENNEDY); COURTESY OF DOUGLAS KESZLER; COURTESY OF NICHOLAS KOTOV
Current position: professor of chemistry and immunology; Ely R. Callaway, Jr. Chair in Chemistry; and director, Worm Institute of Research & Medicine at the Scripps Research Institute Education: B.S., clinical chemistry, University of South Florida; M.S., chemistry, University of Arizona; Ph.D., chemistry, University of Arizona
Janda on what he hopes to accomplish in the next decade: “There are two things I hope to accomplish: To have one of my vaccines for treating drugs of abuse receive FDA approval. I anticipate that one of my vaccines for opioid addiction, which has reached epic proportions in recent years, will gain approval in this timeframe. And to develop a field-ready diagnostic for river blindness, a neglected tropical disease.” What his colleagues say: “He has been working at the chemistry-biology interface longer than most, displaying a remarkable ability to combine the principles of chemistry and immunology to tackle unmet medical needs and chart bold new directions.”—Dale L. Boger, the Scripps Research Institute
ACS Award in Chromatography: Robert T. Kennedy Sponsor: MilliporeSigma Citation: For the development of innovative techniques in miniaturization of chemical separations and microfluidics
for highly sensitive analysis of biological compounds. Current position: Willard Professor of Chemistry, professor of pharmacology, and Distinguished University Professor, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Education: B.S., chemistry, University of Florida; Ph.D., chemistry, University of North Carolina
Kennedy on what gets his creative juices flowing: “Believe it or not, it’s writing a proposal. As I dig into thinking about the goals of a proposal and working through the problems, I can get into a flow and find that I can pick up inspiration from a wide variety of inputs such as talks, conversations with colleagues, and students. I particularly like it when I get an idea from an unexpected source outside my normal research area.” What his colleagues say: “Describing Bob’s research accomplishments takes many superlatives. He has an extremely impressive track record in terms of research and innovation in separation sciences, electrochemistry, mass spectrometry, and bioanalytical chemistry, and is one of the select few individuals who is shaping the entire field of analytical chemistry.”—Jonathan V. Sweedler, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
ACS Award in the Chemistry of Materials: Douglas A. Keszler Sponsor: DuPont Citation: For pioneering contributions to design and development of functional materials, including nonlinear optical crystals, transistor insulators and semiconductors, solar absorbers, and high-resolution inorganic patterning materials.
Current position: Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Oregon State University Education: B.S., chemistry, Southwestern Oklahoma State University; Ph.D., chemistry, Northwestern University
Keszler on the biggest challenge he’s
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overcome: “Persuading others to adopt new ideas and ways to approach challenges. I seek to reduce risk and barriers so researchers will support and join the effort.” What his colleagues say: “Professor Keszler’s remarkable career has had tremendous impact with respect to development of materials chemistry and beyond.”—Rich G. Carter, Oregon State University
ACS Award in Colloid Chemistry: Nicholas A. Kotov Sponsor: Colgate-Palmolive Co. Citation: For creative foundational studies of self-assembly phenomena of nanoparticles on surfaces and in dispersions.
Current position: Joseph B. and Florence V. Cejka Professor of Engineering, University of Michigan Education: M.S., chemistry and chemical engineering, Moscow State University; Ph.D., chemistry and chemical engineering, Moscow State University
Kotov on what gets his creative juices flowing: “Finding something different than expected and demonstrating that it is real and possible, even though someone might think it is impossible or ridiculous.” What his colleagues say: “Starting more than 20 years ago, Nick gave the field of nanomaterials an intellectual spark. He has shown us that inorganic nanoparticles can spontaneously produce diverse superstructures, competing in complexity with those found in biology that were deemed by some to not be possible in materials engineering. He also elaborated the conceptual foundation of the nanoparticle self-organization phenomena by deciphering the convoluted interplay of forces in nanocolloids. Nick further implemented nanoparticle self-assembly for the production of a large family of biomimetic composite materials using layer-by-layer deposition. The impact of his work is apparent by its wide use in materials and device manufacturing by several startup companies created by him and his group members.”—Rodney S. Ruoff, director, IBS Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials, Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology JANUARY 2, 2017 | CEN.ACS.ORG | C&EN
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Ahmed Zewail Award in Ultrafast Science & Technology: Stephen R. Leone Sponsor: Ahmed Zewail Endowment Fund, established by Newport Corp. Citation: For his pioneering development of femtosecond and attosecond extreme ultraviolet pulse measurements for chemical dynamics. Current position: John R. Thomas Endowed Chair in Physical Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley; faculty senior scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Education: B.A., chemistry, Northwestern University; Ph.D., chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
Leone on what he hopes to accomplish in the next decade: “An X-ray spectroscopic revolution in chemical dynamics. It is not just working on femtosecond and attosecond short-time observations: In the past few years I have come to realize that one of the biggest contributions could be in extending X-ray spectroscopic measurements to the study of the rates and complete mechanisms of chemical reactions. This means the ability to unravel chemical dynamics to understand charge state changes and to follow charges, essentially studying electronic dynamics by ultrafast X-ray spectroscopy. In the next decade, I would love to be able to pull an electron out of benzene and watch how the orbitals renormalize to their new energies and configurations.” What his colleagues say: “Professor Leone’s seminal contributions to the dynamics of photophysics and photochemistry are so numerous that it seems incongruous to highlight the particulars. It is best said that his scientific work combines tremendous experience and deep understanding of photodynamics with the development of state-of-the-art laser and device technology. He has been one of the pioneers of the young field of attosecond science, for example revolutionizing time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy, devoted to the study of atomic, molecular, and condensed-matter systems. I cannot think of anyone in this field more deserving of this award.”—Ferenc Krausz, Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and Ludwig Maximilians University
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Nobel Laureate Signature Award for Graduate Education in Chemistry: Junqi Li (student) and Martin D. Burke (preceptor) Sponsor: Avantor Performance Materials Citation: For transforming iterative cross-coupling with MIDA boronates into a powerfully simple and increasingly general automated platform for complex natural products synthesis.
Junqi Li (student) Current position: postdoctoral researcher, University of California, Berkeley Education: B.S., chemistry, National University of Singapore; M.S., chemistry, National University of Singapore; Ph.D., chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Li on what gets her creative juices flowing: “Reading old literature and placing those findings in the context of today’s research. It helps me identify long-standing challenges in organic synthesis and think about how they can be solved with recent advances in controlling selectivity in reactions.”
Martin D. Burke (preceptor) Current position: professor of chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Education: B.A., chemistry, Johns Hopkins University; M.D. and Ph.D., Harvard University Burke on what gets his creative juices flowing: “Highly creative students! One of the greatest joys as a mentor is the opportunity to work with special students that challenge and inspire you to dream bigger and think differently. Junqi is one of the most brilliant, creative, and effective students I have ever had the privilege of working with, and I am convinced that we have just begun to see what she is capable of achieving.” What their colleagues say: “What makes Junqi extremely special is her unique combination of forceful fundamentals—driven logic and a bold exploratory spirit: She has her feet on the ground and her head in the
clouds. Junqi recently completed a transformative thesis in my group, which unabashedly aims to revolutionize small molecule synthesis by using a fully automated iterative building block assembly process. Prior to her involvement, it was unclear whether this goal could be achieved. As Junqi exited the lab, she left a trail of breakthrough achievements in strategies, methods, and complex natural products that collectively reveal an actionable roadmap to this objective for societal impact. I expect her to emerge as a global academic leader in the field of organic chemistry.”—John Katzenellenbogen, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Herbert C. Brown Award for Creative Research in Synthetic Methods: Bruce H. Lipshutz Sponsor: Purdue Borane Research Fund and the Herbert C. Brown Award Endowment Citation: For more than 30 years of contributions of reagents and methodologies, many of which are commercially available and routinely used in synthetic organic chemistry. Current position: professor of chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara Education: B.A., chemistry, State University of New York at Binghamton; M.S., chemistry, Yale University; Ph.D., chemistry, Yale University
Lipshutz on his biggest research challenge: “My greatest challenge in research still lies ahead: to convince the community, through our ongoing program in green chemistry, that chemistry done today greatly impacts our world of tomorrow; that we must have a more futuristic view of how we do synthesis. We are responsible for the resources consumed, and the waste created, as we practice our trade. For example, imagine the time when we no longer have access to metals, such as palladium, that are used today without attention to their endangered status? What then?” What his colleagues say: “Overall, over his 35-plus-year career, Lipshutz has consistently applied his creative ability to the development of new, and above all practical, synthetic methods whose success is evident in their commercial availability and widespread application by the community.”— David Crich, Wayne State University
CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY (LEONE); COURTESY OF JINQI LI; UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, URBANA-CHAMPAIGN (BURKE); COURTESY OF BRUCE LIPSHUTZ
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Earle B. Barnes Award for Leadership in Chemical Research Management: Laurie E. Locascio Sponsor: Dow Chemical Co. Foundation Citation: For outstanding leadership, vision, and creativity in promoting high-impact research and standards development to serve the chemical and chemical engineering communities.
Current position: director, Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) Education: B.S., chemistry, James Madison University; M.S., bioengineering, University of Utah; Ph.D., toxicology, University of Maryland School of Medicine
CREDIT: ROBERT WATTERS (LOCASCIO); HEATHER KENNEDY (S. MARTIN); MARGARET A. MARTIN (Y. MARTIN); JIM ZIETZ (MCGUIRE)
Locascio on her scientific role model and why: “I have had many important role models in my scientific life. My first role model was my father, Edward Locascio. He was a physicist who encouraged me to pursue a career in the sciences, who taught me to believe in myself, and who showed me that there were no limits to what I could achieve. My second important role model is NIST Director Willie May. May had been a great mentor who believed in me and encouraged me to take leadership opportunities throughout my career even though there were few female leaders around me.” What her colleagues say: “By the end of Locascio’s tenure as division chief in 2012, the Biochemical Science Division was characterized by fresh energy, new ideas, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to supporting the greater organization to meet the growing demands in areas of emerging national priorities.”—Hratch G. Semerjian, NIST chief scientist emeritus
Ernest Guenther Award in the Chemistry of Natural Products: Stephen F. Martin Sponsor: Givaudan Citation: For creative invention and development of new methods and strategies and their application to concise syntheses of a remarkably diverse array of natural products. Current position: professor, M. June and J. Virgil Waggoner Chair of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin
Education: B.S., chemistry, University of New Mexico; M.A., chemistry, Princeton University; Ph.D., chemistry, Princeton University
Martin on his biggest research challenge: “As a trained synthetic organic chemist, the greatest challenge has been getting grants funded for research at the interface of organic chemistry and biology—areas such as enzyme mechanism, energetics and structure in protein-ligand interactions, chemical biology, and medicinal chemistry. Simply being an ‘outsider’ in a discipline raises significant barriers to being competitive for funding, even with blue ribbon teams of collaborators in the field.” What his colleagues say: “He is wellknown for exploiting unique structural insights to inspire the design and development of new methods and strategies and applying these to concise and imaginative syntheses of natural products. The extraordinary breadth of his creative contributions is evident from the diversity of the more than 70 alkaloids, polyketides, polypropionates, and terpenes he has synthesized and the many methods he has developed.”—Michael J. Krische, University of Texas at Austin
ACS Award for Computers in Chemical & Pharmaceutical Research: Yvonne C. Martin Sponsor: ACS Division of Computers in Chemistry
Citation: For leading the field through creative additions, thoughtful application, and enthusiastic promotion of the tools of computer-aided drug design.
Current position: retired from Abbott Laboratories; volunteer with the Neglected Diseases Project, AbbVie Education: B.A., chemistry and zoology, Carleton College; Ph.D., chemistry, Northwestern University
Martin on what gets her creative juices flowing: “On the computational side, a persistent unfilled need in our resources, until an unexpected insight comes from a seminar or journal article on a totally different
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subject or from a chance discussion with a scientist in a related but different area. Alternatively, a deep dive investigation into why certain strategies didn’t perform as well as expected. On the drug design side, the puzzle is often why certain compounds are active, but seemingly similar ones are inactive.” What her colleagues say: “Yvonne Martin is a primary leader in and was one of the founders of the field of computer-aided drug design. She was arguably the first to apply computational approaches in industrial pharmaceutical research. Yvonne’s goal has been to solve problems in order to make better therapeutics. Her contributions accelerated the development of new therapeutics and reduced time and cost. She brought rational design approaches to a field that had been largely guided by subjective criteria.”— Terry Stouch, Science For Solutions and Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design
ACS Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences: Saundra Y. McGuire Sponsor: Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation
Citation: For her distinguished service encouraging underrepresented students to reach their full potential by teaching them metacognitive learning strategies and mentoring them to success. Current position: retired assistant vice chancellor and professor of chemistry, and director emerita, Center for Academic Success, Louisiana State University Education: B.S., chemistry, Southern University; M.A.T., chemistry, Cornell University; Ph.D., chemical education, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
McGuire on what she hopes to accomplish in the next decade: “I would love to help more people recognize that anyone can empower students to transform from ineffective, rote learners into profoundly curious, self-aware human beings who have expert strategies for acquiring the skills and knowledge they need in order to excel. Over the next decade, I would love to see a manifold increase in the number of faculty, and others, who know that anyone can teach students simple strategies that JANUARY 2, 2017 | CEN.ACS.ORG | C&EN
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can immediately and dramatically improve academic performance.” What her colleagues say: “As a teacher of organic chemistry courses, often the most dreaded by STEM students, I have observed the impact of professor McGuire’s mentoring on student motivation, performance, and achievements. After working with professor McGuire and applying her metacognitive learning strategies, the students become focused, stimulated, and excited about chemistry, which translates into effective learning and high grades in the courses. Notably, the students also become mentors themselves.”—Graça Vicente, Louisiana State University
James Flack Norris Award in Physical Organic Chemistry: Robert A. Moss Sponsor: ACS Northeastern Section Citation: For pioneering research on carbenes, carbocations, diazirines, and reactive intermediates in general, coupled with sustained pedagogical contributions to physical organic chemistry.
Current position: research professor and Louis P. Hammett Professor of Chemistry Emeritus, Rutgers University, New Brunswick Education: B.S., chemistry, Brooklyn College; M.S., chemistry, University of Chicago; Ph.D., chemistry, University of Chicago
Moss on what gets his creative juices flowing: “Curiosity-driven scientists relish the interplay of observation, hypothesis, experiment, calculation, and analysis. But for me, it’s writing the paper that truly engages my creative faculties. If I can convince myself of the veracity of the conclusions, there’s a good chance my report will convince others. The writing stage commands my complete attention, and not only at my desk. All day long, ideas and conclusions vie for expression. It’s both exhausting and exhilarating.” What his colleagues say: “Over the past half-century, Robert A. Moss has made numerous outstanding contributions to physical organic chemistry in the areas of reactive intermediates, association colloids (micelles and liposomes), and the decontamination of toxic phosphates. In each case, his signal contributions opened new areas of research.”—Matthew Platz, University of Hawaii Hilo and Ohio State University
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ACS Award in Polymer Chemistry: Murugappan Muthukumar Sponsor: ExxonMobil Chemical Citation: For incisive and ground-breaking analysis of fundamental problems across the full spectrum of polymer chemistry, especially with respect to charged polymers.
Current position: Wilmer D. Barrett Distinguished Professor Polymer Science & Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Education: M.Sc., chemistry, University of Madras; Ph.D., chemical physics, University of Chicago
Muthukumar on what gets his creative juices flowing: “I have a tendency to place my mind in a reference frame where great poets, artists, and scientists stand guard of Nature’s beauty. I derive my inspiration to do my personal best from the appreciation of the accomplishments of these great humans and from every scene I see around me during my solitary walks on New England trails.” What his colleagues say: “Based on the breadth of problems he has attacked, the creativity of his solutions, the diversity of tools he employs, and the thoroughness with which he anchors his theories in the real world, I consider him one of the world’s leading polymer theorists.”—Timothy Lodge, University of Minnesota
E. Bright Wilson Award in Spectroscopy: David J. Nesbitt Sponsor: ACS Division of Physical Chemistry
Citation: For his outstanding contributions to the understanding of molecular structures and reaction dynamics by high resolution and single-particle spectroscopic methods. Current position: physicist and fellow, National Institute of Standards & Technology; professor of chemistry, biochemistry, and physics, University of Colorado; fellow,
Joint Institute for Lab Astrophysics Education: B.A., chemistry and physics, Harvard University; Ph.D., chemical physics, University of Colorado
Nesbitt on what he hopes to accomplish in the next decade: “I’m just so very grateful that I’ve been able to explore many directions and enjoy doing cool chemical physics/biophysics with my group. The amazing thing is that they even pay me to do it! But if there is a challenge for me in the next decade, it would be to help students of the next generation grow up with sufficient understanding of basic scientific concepts to make reasoned decisions as U.S. citizens. This will likely require pitching in a hand with science education policy at the national level.” What his colleagues say: “David is unquestionably one of the world’s most prominent molecular spectroscopists. The impact of his work is amplified by his gift for presenting science to the community and the public. The quality of David’s publications is astonishing; many of his papers represent beautiful examples of scientific writing, with clearly defined motivations, masterfully done figures, and clear results. His oral presentations at meetings and seminars are also outstanding; he is one of those people who can ignite the audience with his talk.”—Sergey Nizkorodov, University of California, Irvine
E. V. Murphree Award in Industrial & Engineering Chemistry: Eleftherios Terry Papoutsakis Sponsor: ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Citation: For technology-enabling fundamental contributions in cell-culture engineering, metabolic engineering, and stem-cell biotechnology. Current position: Eugene DuPont Professor in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, professor of biological sciences, faculty fellow, Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware Education: Diploma, chemical engineering, National Technical University of Athens; M.S., chemical engineering, Purdue University; Ph.D., chemical engineering, Purdue University Papoutsakis on his biggest research
CREDIT: COURTESY OF ROBERT MOSS; COURTESY OF MURUGAPPAN MUTHUKUMAR; COURTESY OF DAVID NESBITT; UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE COMMUNICATION SERVICES (PAPOUTSAKIS)
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CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY RELATIONS (PULAY); PATRICK O’LEARY/U OF MINNESOTA (QUE); JEFF HANSON (SIGMAN); GENIE LEMIEUX/EVANSTON PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIOS (SILVERMAN)
challenge: “The challenge of finding the funds, equipment, and the team to solve an exciting problem for which I have a great idea; the slow process of convincing an editor about a paper or a funding agency so that a great idea can come out or be pursued to fruition. And, sometimes, finding the right collaborators to work on a problem I deeply care about.” What his colleagues say: “Terry’s research has concentrated on clearly defined problems of both scientific and technological significance. He was one of the first to recognize the importance of molecularly based interdisciplinary research (biology and engineering) for advancing biochemical engineering. He defined new fields of research activities and thus provided new research opportunities for a whole generation of younger bioengineers.”—Wilfred Chen, University of Delaware
ACS Award in Theoretical Chemistry: Peter Pulay Sponsor: ACS Division of Physical Chemistry
Citation: For the analytical gradient method, NMR parameter calculations, local correlation concept, and direct inversion in the iterative subspace technique. Current position: Roger B. Bost Professor of Chemistry, Mildred B. Cooper Chair, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Education: Diploma (M.S.) in chemistry, Eötvös L. University, Budapest, Hungary; Ph.D., theoretical inorganic chemistry, University of Stuttgart, Germany Pulay on the biggest research challenge he has had to overcome: “Our field was initially little appreciated by the chemical community. It was challenging to convince most chemists of the possibilities of quantum chemistry. My first focus was the simulation of vibrational spectra. As a chemist, I have at first struggled with many-body quantum theory. Fortunately, physicist friends helped me to overcome this. The fruitful cooperation with Wilfried Meyer (Germany) was especially important, and resulted in the first version of the general-purpose quantum chemistry program MOLPRO.” What his colleagues say: “Few quantum chemists have made a greater impact on chemistry than Peter Pulay. While everyone dreams of hitting one ‘home run,’ Pulay
has four: analytical gradient method, NMR parameter calculation, local correlation, and direct inversion in iterative subspace (DIIS). These are household terms in the field and part of nearly all quantum chemistry programs used by countless chemists.”—So Hirata, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
ACS Award in Inorganic Chemistry: Lawrence Que Jr. Sponsor: Aldrich Chemical Co. Citation: For his many contributions to the field of inorganic chemistry that have profoundly impacted our understanding of the nature of high-valent iron centers in biology.
Current position: Regents Professor, University of Minnesota Education: B.S., chemistry, Ateneo de Manila University; Ph.D., chemistry, University of Minnesota
Que on what gets his creative juices going: “An unexpected twist in an experiment, an anomalous spectroscopic signal, and an unusual structure to make are all stimuli that get my creative juices going, providing opportunities to learn about what we do not understand. From a young age, I have always enjoyed solving puzzles. For me, bioinorganic chemistry presents puzzles that require me to connect the dots to discover how an active site metal center carries out its function.” What his colleagues say: “Larry has produced seminal papers over 35 years and is a leader in the development of this important interdisciplinary field between inorganic chemistry and biology.”—Karl Wieghardt, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion
ACS Award for Creative Work in Synthetic Organic Chemistry: Matthew S. Sigman Sponsor: MilliporeSigma Citation: For his creative, seminal work in synthetic organic chemistry, especially his innovative contributions to the Wacker oxidation and Heck reaction. Current position: Distinguished Profes-
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sor & Peter J. Christine S. Stang Presidential Endowed Chair of Chemistry, University of Utah Education: B.S., chemistry, Sonoma State University; Ph.D., organometallic chemistry, Washington State University
Sigman on what gets his creative juices going: “Pretty much everything! I often get inspiration while teaching—in the classroom, working with a researcher in my lab, or even while exploring a concept with one of my children. The process of summarizing and articulating my thoughts helps me focus on where we are in the field and what the gaps are, and what next questions are the most important.” What his colleagues say: “Matt Sigman is making lasting, creative contributions to synthesis both in reactions he develops and in insights revealed through his elegant mechanistic studies. He is highly productive and viewed widely as an intellectual force.”—Peter Stang, University of Utah
ACS Award for Creative Invention: Richard B. Silverman Sponsor: ACS Corporation Associates Citation: For his fundamental enzyme inhibitor work resulting in his invention of pregabalin, which has become the blockbuster drug Lyrica, marketed by Pfizer for fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, spinal cord injury pain, and epilepsy. Current position: Patrick G. Ryan/Aon Professor, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Center for Molecular Innovation & Drug Discovery, and Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Northwestern University Education: B.S., chemistry, Pennsylvania State University; Ph.D., organic chemistry, Harvard University
Silverman on what gets his creative juices going: “The creative juices start to flow when I’m faced with failure (which occurs way too often) and from challenging problems of any nature. As all scientists know all too well, most experiments fail JANUARY 2, 2017 | CEN.ACS.ORG | C&EN
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on their first iteration; even before repeating the experiment, I find myself rationalizing what could have happened and beginning to design the next set of experiments. This leads to ideas for new approaches, which are useful even if the original experiment is shown to work after it is repeated.” What his colleagues say: “Silverman has built a long and distinguished record of ingeniously designing molecules for selective inhibition of enzymes. His basic enzyme inhibitor work resulted in his invention of pregabalin, which has become the blockbuster drug Lyrica, marketed by Pfizer for fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, spinal cord injury pain, and epilepsy.”—Stephen J. Benkovic, Pennsylvania State University
James Bryant Conant Award in High School Chemistry Teaching: Laura E. Slocum Sponsor: Journal of Chemical Education and ChemEd X Citation: For inspiring students to learn the beauty of our molecular world and for contributions to chemistry education as a researcher, editor, and exemplary educator. Current position: chemistry instructor, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Columbia, S.C. Education: A.S., respiratory therapy, Indiana University, Indianapolis; B.A., chemistry, Western Connecticut State University; M.S., chemistry, Ball State University
Slocum on what gets her creative juices flowing: “Facing the rigors of helping my students overcome their learning challenges. Some students will learn regardless of who teaches them; however there are others who face major learning challenges and fears. By helping each student to find ways of overcoming those challenges, no matter how big or small, I find great satisfaction. While not all of my students may become chemists, they are finding ways to expand their horizons.” What her colleagues say: “Laura Slocum has an outstanding record of achievement and engagement as a high school chemistry teacher. Her education research has been innovative, high-impact, and influential in not only chemistry education, but also science education.”—Marcy Towns, Purdue University
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ACS Award for Creative Work in Fluorine Chemistry: Antonio Togni Sponsor: ACS Division of Fluorine Chemistry
Citation: For research on electrophilic trifluoromethylation that combines rational experimental design, comprehensive analysis of mechanism, and detailed interpretation of structural influences on bonding and reactivity. Current position: professor of organometallic chemistry and vice-rector for doctoral studies, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland Education: Dipl., chemistry, ETH Zurich; Ph.D., chemistry, ETH Zurich
Togni on his scientific role model and why: “One is for sure John E. Bercaw of Caltech, the supervisor during my postdoc. From him I learned that tolerance and respect toward students and colleagues, and a good degree of modesty in science, are qualities more important than any prima-donna behavior. Another is Dieter Seebach, one of my teachers at ETH, for his exemplary integrity and rigor as a scientist.” What his colleagues say: “Professor Antonio Togni’s contribution to fluorine chemistry is greater than the simple discovery of new, useful reagents. The greatest importance of his research lies in his elevation of the discipline of fluorine chemistry by the creative utilization of chemical bonding principles to direct the synthesis of selectively fluorinated compounds.”— John Welch, University at Albany, State University of New York
ACS Award for Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Inorganic Chemistry: William B. Tolman Sponsor: Strem Chemicals Citation: For impactful contributions to our understanding of copper centers in biology and catalysis and outstanding leadership in service to the inorganic chemistry and larger community. Current position: Distinguished McKnight University Professor and chair of
the department of chemistry, University of Minnesota Education: B.A., chemistry, Wesleyan University; Ph.D., chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
Tolman on what gets his creative juices flowing: “Talking to students about their science and seeing new and unexpected data! In the next decade, I hope to continue to do good science, educate and motivate students, and play a key role in driving positive change in our profession and in the institutions with which I am affiliated, all for the greater good of society.” What his colleagues say: “Bill’s work on the synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of novel copper complexes relevant to copper-containing metalloenzyme active sites has been particularly impactful. He is deeply committed to the broader inorganic chemistry community and has shown this commitment through myriad activities that go well beyond the norm.”—Lawrence Que, University of Minnesota
Joel Henry Hildebrand Award in the Theoretical & Experimental Chemistry of Liquids: Salvatore Torquato Sponsor: ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Citation: For his numerous, unifying theoretical contributions to the statistical mechanics of liquids and glasses and how the interparticle interactions present discriminate among alternative crystal structures. Current position: professor of chemistry, Princeton University Education: B.S., mechanical engineering, Syracuse University; M.S., mechanical engineering, SUNY at Stony Brook; Ph.D., mechanical engineering, SUNY at Stony Brook Torquato on what gets his creative juices flowing: “I enjoy choosing research avenues less traveled because it provides the opportunity to invent new fields. I am fascinated by the fact that the results of research on rather abstract, basic questions often have practical implications.”
CREDIT: COURTESY OF LAURA SLOCUM; ETH CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS (TOGNI); EILEEN HARVALA (TOLMAN); COURTESY OF SALVATORE TORQUATO
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What his colleagues say: “Salvatore Torquato has played the role of a theorist’s theorist—bringing clarity and rigor to major conceptual features of the theory of liquids, the consequences of which have been refinement and expansion of our understanding of the structure and properties of liquids.”—Stuart A. Rice, James Franck Institute, University of Chicago
ACS Award for Achievement in Research for the Teaching & Learning of Chemistry: Marcy H. Towns Sponsor: ACS Exams Institute Citation: For research that has increased our understanding of undergraduate laboratory, physical chemistry, and group learning, which has positively impacted teaching and learning in chemistry. Current position: professor of chemistry, Purdue University Education: B.A., chemistry and mathematics, Linfield College; M.S., chemical education, Purdue University; Ph.D., physical chemistry, Purdue University
CREDIT: COURTESY OF MARCY TOWNS; TUFTS UNIVERSITY (WALT); COURTESY OF DOUGLAS WORSNOP
Towns on her scientific role model and why: “My dad modeled what it is like to be curious and ask questions about the world. When I was young, dad would look at constellations with me, or we’d talk about snow crystal formation and morphology. He’s been an enormous influence in my life and he still is.” What her colleagues say: “Marcy’s work to elaborate what laboratory instructors know and translate that into guidelines that help them adopt new and more successful pedagogies represents the best in advancing the learning of chemistry because of research.”—Thomas Holme, Iowa State University
Kathryn C. Hach Award for Entrepreneurial Success: David R. Walt Sponsor: Kathryn C. Hach Award Fund Citation: For inventing and commercializing microwell arrays that benefit research, medicine, and agriculture with tremendous impact on the economy through job and value creation. Current position: university professor,
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor, Tufts University Education: B. S., chemistry, University of Michigan; Ph.D., chemical biology, SUNY at Stony Brook
Walt on his scientific role model and why: “I’d have to say George Whitesides. He was my postdoctoral mentor and has been a stalwart supporter and friend for over three decades now. From George, I learned how to look outside of my narrow field for interesting and important problems. He views science as his playground and there is nothing that deters him; in fact, disproving dogma often attracts him. He enjoys being the only naysayer and then sets out to prove he’s right. And many times, he is. George is also a strong supporter of the people who have worked in his lab—another characteristic I admire and try to emulate.” What his colleagues say: “Walt is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in chemistry and perhaps all of science. He has a long record of translating technologies to the commercial sector and has founded multiple successful companies with an aggregate value over $20 billion and that employ thousands of people. His technologies have had a profound impact in the fields of medicine, agriculture, the environment, and pharmaceutical and chemical process control.”—Joseph M. DeSimone, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; North Carolina State University; and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
ACS Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science & Technology: Douglas R. Worsnop Sponsor: ACS Division of Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Science & Technology, and Environmental Science & Technology Letters Citation: For pioneering research on gas-aqueous atmospheric chemistry and the development of the aerosol mass spectrometer, which has revolutionized atmospheric aerosol measurements. Current position: vice president, Aerodyne Research; professor of physics, University of Helsinki Education: B.A., chemistry, Hope College; Ph.D., chemistry, Harvard University Worsnop on what gets his creative juic-
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es flowing: “My motivation is simple–
interacting with young people (students and postdocs), seeing new data, figuring out what makes sense and what doesn’t, then designing the next experiment. Sometimes even presenting results and interpretations, either orally or in manuscripts. I have been ‘doing’ physical chemistry experiments for over 40 years and am still driven as much as ever to invent, improve, and make the next ones work better. These days I do little ‘real’ work myself. Rather it is students and postdocs who do the work. It is those interactions that keep me going, with as much excitement and drive as I had as a student, now dedicated to atmospheric aerosol chemistry and physics.”
What his colleagues say: “Doug, his group, and his collaborators worldwide have created a new paradigm for applying mass spectrometry in atmospheric science, from laboratory chambers and flow reactors to ambient sampling on ground, mobile, and airborne platforms. The Aerodyne mass spectrometry group has delivered 250 mass spectrometry systems that are in active application, across the globe. Doug’s leadership has been crucial in training atmospheric scientists in instrument operation, data analysis, and science publication of chemical composition and processing of gases and condensed species underlying suspended aerosol in the atmosphere.”—John H. Seinfeld, California Institute of Technology
Frank H. Field & Joe L. Franklin Award for Outstanding Achievement in Mass Spectrometry: Vicki H. Wysocki Sponsor: Waters Corp. Citation: For her outstanding accomplishments in the development of surface-induced dissociation for native mass spectrometry structural characterization of noncovalent complexes. Current position: professor of chemistry and biochemistry, Ohio Eminent Scholar, Ohio State University Education: B.S., chemistry, Western Kentucky University; Ph.D., chemistry, Purdue University
Wysocki on her scientific role model and why: “Nobel Prize winner John Fenn moved to my department when I was an assistant JANUARY 2, 2017 | CEN.ACS.ORG | C&EN
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professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and showed that you can set up a lab and do strong science without a huge group or a huge budget; he remained humble and attended our joint analytical chemistry group meetings and insisted he was just one of the students. Carol Robinson of Oxford is also a great role model. She worked in industry first and took eight years off to have children and has become one of the top scientists in the world today. Some people may see this as a single outlier datapoint, but I think it is simply an illustration that our ideas of what ‘works’ in a career are often false.”
What her colleagues say: “Her more recent research in the area of mass spectrometry of large protein complexes, which builds upon her fundamental studies of surface-induced dissociation, has provided structural biology research groups around the world with new approaches for macromolecule characterization. Fundamental studies of surface-induced dissociation (SID), which has been a focus of her research for the past
20-plus years, has led to the development of novel approaches for interrogation of macromolecule complexes, including the conformations of the protein complexes and subunits as well as stoichiometry of the subunits.”—Facundo Fernandez, Georgia Institute of Technology
Roger Adams Award in Organic Chemistry: Hisashi Yamamoto Sponsor: Organic Reactions Inc. and Organic Syntheses Inc. Citation: For pioneering and highly creative contributions to the development of methods for the catalytic asymmetric synthesis for carbon–carbon, carbon–oxygen, and carbon–nitrogen bond formations. Current position: professor and director of the Molecular Catalyst Research Center, Chubu University, Japan; professor emeritus, University of Chicago;
professor emeritus, Nagoya University; president, Chemical Society of Japan Education: B. S., organic chemistry, Kyoto University; Ph. D., organic chemistry, Harvard University
Yamamoto on his scientific role models: “My mentor is Professor E. J. Corey, since 1967 even until now! In addition, numerous chemists gave me important influences: Professors R. B. Woodward, H. Nozaki, R. Noyori, B. Sharpless, E. E. van Temelen, and H. Hironaka.” What his colleagues say: “Yamamoto’s most influential work has been in the ingenious design and development of Lewis and Brønsted acid catalysts for asymmetric synthesis. He is a pioneer in this field and continues to lead it. Yamamoto used extensive structural, spectroscopic, and computational studies to develop a fundamental understanding of the factors that govern the coordination of Lewis acids with organic substrates. His introduction of binaphthol in early 1980s as a key ligand for chiral catalysts was a forerunner of the extensive work on C2-symmetry-based chiral Lewis acid catalysts. His insights on and success with the rational design of Lewis and Brønsted acids helped establish accepted paradigms of modern molecular catalysis.”—Viresh Rawal, University of Chicago ◾
SHARE My ACS helps me share my passion for chemistry with all my students. I encouraged all of them to attend recent ACS on Campus events because it’s a great experience, especially for career training and learning how to communicate your science. I show my students the career options they have as chemistry majors, and even those that aren’t, I advise them on how they can use chemistry in their everyday lives. ACS gives me the resources to share advice on getting a recommendation letter from a professor and landing an internship.
LaKeisha McClary Member, 8 years
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C&EN | CEN.ACS.ORG | JANUARY 2, 2017
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CREDIT: COURTESY OF VICKI WYSOCKI; COURTESY OF HISASHI YAMAMOTO
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