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Medal holders
PEOPLE & PLACES UPDATE
Bard honored Allen J. Bard of the University of Texas has been presented with the 2002 Priestley Medal, the highest honor of the American Chemical Society. The award recognizes his outstanding contributions to chemistry research, science policy, and mentoring. His research has covered such topics as semiconductors, display technologies, fuel cells, and batteries. Bard has also served on committees for energy and the environment, and has been editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Chair steps down Sir John Egan is to step down as the chairman of QinetiQ Group plc (formerly part of the UK Defence Evaluation and Research Agency). Having overseen the preparation of the company for privatization, Egan has been head of QinetiQ since it was formed in July 2001. “QinetiQ is a tremendously exciting company and I was pleased to be part of shaping it and preparing it for the private sector,” he says. Egan will concentrate on his other commitments, including taking up the presidency of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Visionary innovator Erich Bloch has been named by the National Science Board (NSB) as the recipient of the Vannevar Bush award – the NSB’s highest award for scientific achievement and statesmanship. “Erich Bloch is a visionary innovator of enormous stature,” says Eamon Kelly, NSB chair. The award pays tribute to his reputation in research, his development of education programs, and contributions to science policy.
Medal holders
Jolly good fellows
President Bush has
The Royal Society has announced the election of
named 15 scientists
New Fellows and Foreign Members for 2002. They
to receive the
will be formally inducted at a ceremony in London
National Medal of
on July 12.
Science, arguably the
Among those selected for their contribution to
highest US award for
science were Thomas M. Rice from the
achievement in
Eidgenössische Technische Höchschule, Zurich,
science. Among
Switzerland; Mark E. Welland from the University
those named to
of Cambridge, UK; and Alexander Pines from the
receive this honor
University of California, Berkeley.
are Marvin L. Cohen Marvin L. Cohen (courtesy of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory).
and Gabor A. Somorjai of the Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley, and Ernest R. Davidson of Indiana University. Somorjai says, “No award could mean more to me than this.” Cohen developed the pseudopotential approach for explaining the properties of materials based on quantum mechanics at the atomic level. This has allowed the properties of many materials to be predicted or understood. Examples include the prediction of new superconductors, compound nanotubes, and classes of superhard solids. Cohen comments that the award is, “a recognition of the importance of materials science. I believe that the field has a bright future since we need to understand materials, and the research is fascinating.” Somorjai has played a major part in establishing the molecular basis of surface science and catalysis. His research has focused on surface structure, composition, and reactivity. This has led to a better understanding of catalysis and surface interactions including adhesion, lubrication, friction, and adsorption. Davidson is a pioneer of computational quantum chemistry. His conceptual, mathematical, and computational advances have made the modeling of chemical reactions possible. Davidson says, “I feel very honored to be singled out in this way from the group of people who have worked so hard to make computational methods feasible,” and explains that the award recognizes “the importance that computational modeling of the structure of molecules and solids now plays.”
Rice has contributed to the understanding of the electronic properties of materials, both in theory and experiment. He has been key to the development of a model for high temperature superconductors. Welland is noted for his achievements in nanotechnology and scanning probe microscopy. He has combined the development of new experimental characterization tools with the modeling of nanoscale properties. Pines is elected for his work developing NMR as an analytical tool for solid materials. His contributions have found wide application in physics, chemistry, and biology.
Election results The National Academy of Sciences has announced the election of new members and foreign associates. Tom C. Lubensky and Alan G. MacDiarmid of the University of Pennsylvania, Mark A. Ratner and Zdenek P. Bazant of Northwestern University, and Wolfgang Ketterle of MIT and the University of Heidelberg have all been elected for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Lubensky’s research focuses on liquid crystals, membranes, vesicles, microemulsions, and other soft materials. MacDiarmid studies the properties and technological applications of conducting polymers, determining factors which contribute to high conductivity in organic materials. Ratner uses a wide variety of theoretical methods to examine a number of chemical systems including electron transfer processes and molecular electronics. Bazant investigates quasibrittle fracture and damage mechanics. Ketterle’s research focuses on atomic physics and laser spectroscopy, including the study of Bose-Einstein condensates.
July/August 2002
55
Bard honored Allen J. Bard of the University of Texas has been presented with the 2002 Priestley Medal, the highest honor of the American Chemical Society. The award recognizes his outstanding contributions to chemistry research, science policy, and mentoring. His research has covered such topics as semiconductors, display technologies, fuel cells, and batteries. Bard has also served on committees for energy and the environment, and has been editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Chair steps down Sir John Egan is to step down as the chairman of QinetiQ Group plc (formerly part of the UK Defence Evaluation and Research Agency). Having overseen the preparation of the company for privatization, Egan has been head of QinetiQ since it was formed in July 2001. “QinetiQ is a tremendously exciting company and I was pleased to be part of shaping it and preparing it for the private sector,” he says. Egan will concentrate on his other commitments, including taking up the presidency of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Visionary innovator Erich Bloch has been named by the National Science Board (NSB) as the recipient of the Vannevar Bush award – the NSB’s highest award for scientific achievement and statesmanship. “Erich Bloch is a visionary innovator of enormous stature,” says Eamon Kelly, NSB chair. The award pays tribute to his reputation in research, his development of education programs, and contributions to science policy.
Medal holders
Jolly good fellows
President Bush has
The Royal Society has announced the election of
named 15 scientists
New Fellows and Foreign Members for 2002. They
to receive the
will be formally inducted at a ceremony in London
National Medal of
on July 12.
Science, arguably the
Among those selected for their contribution to
highest US award for
science were Thomas M. Rice from the
achievement in
Eidgenössische Technische Höchschule, Zurich,
science. Among
Switzerland; Mark E. Welland from the University
those named to
of Cambridge, UK; and Alexander Pines from the
receive this honor
University of California, Berkeley.
are Marvin L. Cohen Marvin L. Cohen (courtesy of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory).
and Gabor A. Somorjai of the Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley, and Ernest R. Davidson of Indiana University. Somorjai says, “No award could mean more to me than this.” Cohen developed the pseudopotential approach for explaining the properties of materials based on quantum mechanics at the atomic level. This has allowed the properties of many materials to be predicted or understood. Examples include the prediction of new superconductors, compound nanotubes, and classes of superhard solids. Cohen comments that the award is, “a recognition of the importance of materials science. I believe that the field has a bright future since we need to understand materials, and the research is fascinating.” Somorjai has played a major part in establishing the molecular basis of surface science and catalysis. His research has focused on surface structure, composition, and reactivity. This has led to a better understanding of catalysis and surface interactions including adhesion, lubrication, friction, and adsorption. Davidson is a pioneer of computational quantum chemistry. His conceptual, mathematical, and computational advances have made the modeling of chemical reactions possible. Davidson says, “I feel very honored to be singled out in this way from the group of people who have worked so hard to make computational methods feasible,” and explains that the award recognizes “the importance that computational modeling of the structure of molecules and solids now plays.”
Rice has contributed to the understanding of the electronic properties of materials, both in theory and experiment. He has been key to the development of a model for high temperature superconductors. Welland is noted for his achievements in nanotechnology and scanning probe microscopy. He has combined the development of new experimental characterization tools with the modeling of nanoscale properties. Pines is elected for his work developing NMR as an analytical tool for solid materials. His contributions have found wide application in physics, chemistry, and biology.
Election results The National Academy of Sciences has announced the election of new members and foreign associates. Tom C. Lubensky and Alan G. MacDiarmid of the University of Pennsylvania, Mark A. Ratner and Zdenek P. Bazant of Northwestern University, and Wolfgang Ketterle of MIT and the University of Heidelberg have all been elected for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Lubensky’s research focuses on liquid crystals, membranes, vesicles, microemulsions, and other soft materials. MacDiarmid studies the properties and technological applications of conducting polymers, determining factors which contribute to high conductivity in organic materials. Ratner uses a wide variety of theoretical methods to examine a number of chemical systems including electron transfer processes and molecular electronics. Bazant investigates quasibrittle fracture and damage mechanics. Ketterle’s research focuses on atomic physics and laser spectroscopy, including the study of Bose-Einstein condensates.
July/August 2002
55