2021 Recipients

Vicente A. Talanquer, University of Arizona

Award Citation: For his groundbreaking investigations of students' thinking in chemistry which provided new insights into students conceptual challenges and enabled the development of innovative curricular reforms. 

M. Katharine Holloway, Gfree Bio, LLC

Award Citation: For the computer-aided design of novel lifesaving medicines, particularly HIV and HCV protease inhibitors for the treatment of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. 

Allen H. Goldstein, University of California, Berkeley

Award Citation: For groundbreaking research on the chemistry and emissions of natural and anthropogenic trace gases and aerosols in the atmosphere. 

Scott R. Culler, 3M

Award Citation: For his outstanding development of the first abrasives technology with uniform, precision-shaped ceramic grain, where each grain functions as a cutting tool. 

Beate Koksch, Freie Universität Berlin

Award Citation: For her outstanding contributions to fluorine chemistry at the interface of chemistry, biology, as well as protein science and engineering with exceptional originality and creativity.

Jonathan A. Ellman, Yale University

Award Citation: For developing the landmark tert-butanesulfinamide approach to stereoselective synthesis and for pioneering contributions C-H bond functionalization reactions and combinatorial small molecule synthesis. 

Kenneth D. Karlin, Johns Hopkins University

Award Citation: For ground-breaking copper- and heme-dioxygen chemistry research and for a career encompassing service to the bioinorganic community, the ACS and its Division of Inorganic Chemistry. 

Elaine S. Yamaguchi (retired), Chevron

Award Citation: Elaine S. Yamaguchi, a seminal contributor to the California Sections of Project SEED and Women Chemists Committee, is commended for devotion to those underrepresented in chemical sciences.

Kay M. Brummond, University of Pittsburgh

Award Citation: Kay Brummond serves as a pathfinder, an agent of change, and mentor to women at all stages of their careers in the Chemical Sciences. 

Daniel Rabinovich, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Award Citation: For a career involving outstanding supervision and mentorship of undergraduate chemical professionals in synthetic inorganic chemistry. 

Héctor D. Abruña, Cornell University

Award Citation: For revolutionizing the understanding of electrochemical interfaces by pioneering development of operando methods, modification of electrode surfaces and development of fuel cell and battery materials. 

Dirk J. Broer, Eindhoven University of Technology

Award Citation: For pioneering discoveries in the field of liquid crystalline materials, particularly in the areas of reactive, smart materials for optical and display applications. 

David S. Hage, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Award Citation: For his outstanding accomplishments in the theory, development, and use of high-performance affinity chromatography and related methods for separations, chemical analysis, and biomolecular interaction studies. 

Emily A. Weiss, Northwestern University

Award Citation: For her outstanding contributions to colloidal photocatalysis, and to chemical design of the interfaces of nanoscale colloids with their environments. 

David S. Hays, 3M

Award Citation: For discovering fundamentally new molecules and materials and mastering their complex manufacturing processes across diverse markets including pharmaceuticals, optical films, specialty adhesives, and release liners. 

­Kristin Bowman-James, University of Kansas

Award Citation: For her fundamental contributions to inorganic chemistry by providing insight to anion coordination from a transition metal coordination perspective. 

Melanie S. Sanford, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Award Citation: For detailed studies of high-valent organometallic Pd and Ni complexes that have led fundamental advances in inorganic chemistry and catalysis. 

Ken B. Wagener, University of Florida

Award Citation: For significant contributions in both industry and academia, including pioneering the acyclic diene metathesis polymerization, which launched an entirely new field of synthetic polymer chemistry. 

Rebekka S. Klausen, Johns Hopkins University

Award Citation: For transformative achievements in the synthesis of functional silicon-based polymers inaccessible from traditional feedstocks and reaction mechanisms. 

James W. Jorgenson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Award Citation: For development of capillary electrophoresis, ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography, and working two dimensional separations and application to complex mixture analysis. 

Vicki H. Grassian, University of California San Diego

Award Citation: For pioneering research, teaching and service contributions to the surface chemistry of environmental interfaces, including aerosols, nanomaterials and indoor surfaces, providing leadership in the field. 

Yury Gogotsi, Drexel University

Award Citation: For groundbreaking research in the synthesis of novel classes of carbon-based nanomaterials and the elucidation of mechanisms involved in capacitive energy storage. 

Sharon Hammes-Schiffer, Yale University

Award Citation: For her groundbreaking advances in the quantum mechanical treatment of nuclear motion and her definitive applications to proton transfer and proton coupled electron transfer (PCET). 

Mary K. Engelman (retired), Eastman Chemical

Award Citation: For exemplifying the spirit of volunteerism through her efforts to increase public awareness of chemistry and to promote science to students of all ages.

Kendall N. Houk, University of California, Los Angeles

Award Citation: Houk fused quantum theory into the heart of organic chemistry by experiments and computations, lucid models to understand reactivity, and collaborations with experimentalists. 

Amy C. Rosenzweig, Northwestern University

Award Citation: For pioneering work in bioinorganic chemistry elucidating metalloenzyme catalysis and cellular metal homeostasis at the molecular level. 

Pat N. Confalone, Confalone Consulting

Award Citation: Pat Confalone has built and nurtured world-class R&D organizations in medicinal, agricultural, and process chemistry - driven by a lifelong passion for organic chemistry. 

Jonathan L. Sessler, University of Texas at Austin

Award Citation: For the discovery of expanded porphyrins, molecular recognition via base-pairing, pyrrole-based anion binding, and demonstrating the power of this biomimetic chemistry in drug discovery. 

Mark Lautens, University of Toronto

Award Citation: For his discoveries in metal and multi-metal catalyzed C-C and C-X bond-methods that are useful in the synthesis of bioactive target molecules. 

Shea Wickelson, Salt Lake Center for Science Education

Award Citation: In Shea Wickleson's classroom “No Future Chemist is Left Behind”

John Hartwig, ­University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Award Citation: For the discovery, development, and mechanistic elucidation of practical reactions catalyzed by transition metal complexes, including CH bond functionalization and cross-coupling. 

Ryan A. Shenvi, Scripps Research California

Award Citation: For fundamental discoveries in organic chemistry, synthetic methodology, and natural products total synthesis, providing key insights into the mechanism of action of natural products. 

Marinella Mazzanti, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (EPFL)

Award Citation: For her outstanding accomplishments in uranium and lanthanide chemistry spanning from the stabilization of unusaul oxidation states to multi-metallic cluster synthesis and small molecule activation. 

Michael David Fayer, Stanford University

Award Citation: For pioneering work on the dynamics, interactions, and structures of complex liquids through the development and application of ultrafast two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy. 

Veronica Bierbaum, University of Colorado Boulder

Award Citation: For pioneering contributions to gas phase ion chemistry, including detailed reaction mechanisms, quantitative thermochemistry, and novel astrochemistry, enabled by innovative developments in instrumentation. 

Carol J. Burns, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Award Citation: For exceptional service to the chemistry community through pioneering research in actinide chemistry, service in national security, and championing workforce development and equity in science. 

Sam Kean, freelance writer

Award Citation: For his books, public speaking, and podcast, which have helped to increase appreciation for chemistry. 

Smaranda C. Marinescu, University of Southern California

Award Citation: For her outstanding accomplishments in developing efficient catalytic systems for the conversion of solar energy into chemical bonds. 

Bradley S. Moore, University of California San Diego

Award Citation: For his insightful and innovative contributions to the fields of natural products chemistry, chemical biology, biosynthesis, genomics and molecular genetic engineering. 

Karl O. Christe, University of Southern California

Award Citation: For major and original contributions to main group chemistry. 

Craig Hawker, University of California, Santa Barbara

Award Citation: In recognition of Dr. Hawker's innovative leadership in creating, developing, and commercializing revolutionary polymer-based therapeutics and personal care products through multiple successful start-up companies. 

Edward Roberts, Scripps Research California

Award Citation: For his development of bitopic modulators for therapeutic intervention, including agonists for multiple sclerosis, Crohns disease, ulcerative colitis. 

Biman Bagchi, Indian Institute of Science

Award Citation: For developing theories of solvation dynamics; barrier less chemical reactions; Forster energy transfer; mode-coupling theory of electrolyte conduction, diffusion, viscosity; water in biological systems; binary liquid mixtures; phase transitions. 

Yong Wang, Washington State University and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Award Citation: For the development of innovative catalytic materials and reaction engineering concepts leading to sustainable technologies for solving current and future energy, resource, and environmental challenges. 

Mei Hong, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Award Citation: By developing and applying advanced techniques of solid-state NMR, Professor Hong has discovered important features of membrane channels, amyloid proteins and plant cell walls. 

Award Citation: For unraveling heretofore unknown interfacial phenomena at charged interfaces using nonlinear optics, and for discovery of the χ⁽³⁾ phase angle.

Peter Chen, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich

Award Citation: For creative use of gas-phase methods for the investigation of organometallic catalysis in solution. 

Michael M. Haley, University of Oregon

Award Citation: For groundbreaking work on the synthesis and study of carbon-rich/-pi-electron-rich hydrocarbons related to non-natural carbon allotropes graphyne and graphdiyne. 

Ruth Woodall, Tennessee Scholars and Neuronexus Foundation

Award Citation: For distinguished and outstanding public service, her passionate advocacy for diversity and mentorship, and for her multi-disciplinary expertise in STEM, public relations, and non-profit management. 

Dudley Shallcross, University of Bristol

Award Citation: For innovative contributions to the teaching of chemistry (science) from elementary school to postgraduate study and in promoting chemistry to prospective students and the public. 

Sherry J. Yennello, Texas A&M University

Award Citation: For her innovative and illuminating research on the role of the N/Z degree of freedom on dynamics and equilibration in nuclear reactions. 

Paul J. Chirik, Princeton University

Award Citation: For pioneering work in sustainable catalysis with Earth-abundant elements that through control of electronic structure transformed the way chemists approach the periodic table. 

Harry W. Deckman, ExxonMobil Research & Engineering

Award Citation: For contributions to broaden the energy options available to society, address the challenges of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and improve the energy efficiency of industrial separations. 

Lai-Sheng Wang, Brown University

Award Citation: For his pioneering studies of multiply charged anions and cryogenically-cooled anions using photoelectron spectroscopy. 

Majed Chergui, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (EPFL)

Award Citation: For pioneering ultrafast X-ray spectroscopy and developing novel ultrafast deep-ultraviolet spectroscopic tools for the study of chemical dynamics in solutions and charge-carrier dynamics in materials. 

Timothy Berkelbach, Columbia University

Award Citation: For outstanding theoretical and computational contributions to the excited-state electronic properties of novel solids and nanomaterials.