Presidential Accolades

Abstract

Chemists and chemical engineers are among the winners of the nation’s top scientific and technical awards. President Barack Obama announced the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology & Innovation honorees in late December. “Science and technology are fundamental to solving some of our nation’s biggest challenges,” Obama said. “The knowledge produced by these Americans today will carry our country’s legacy of innovation forward and continue to help countless others around the world. Their work is a testament to American ingenuity.” Medal of Science winners include A. Paul Alivisatos, a nanomaterials scientist and a chemistry professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He directs Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Geraldine Richmond, a chemistry professor at the University of Oregon who studies complex surfaces and boundary layers, also received the award. She is a founder of COACh, an organization that aims to promote women in chemistry, and is president