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September 12, 2023
INNOVATION DAY AT SCIENCE HISTORY INSTITUTE IN PHILADELPHIA
An in-person and virtual conference open to member companies. Learn More
September 12, 2023
PERKIN MEDAL AWARD DINNER AT THE RITZ-CARLTON IN PHILADELPHIA
Join us as we celebrate the 2023 Perkin Medal Award winner. Learn More
March 5, 2024
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY MEDAL DINNER AT THE PLAZA HOTEL IN NEW YORK
Join us as we celebrate this years winner at this black-tie affair. Learn More
News Releases
2023
Dow's Kaoru Aou wins 2023 SCI Gordon E. Moore Medal
Research and Development Fellow at Dow is recognized for his significant advances in polyurethane materials in several application areas
To be honored on September 12, 2023 in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA | April 25, 2023 – The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) America announced today that Kaoru Aou, Ph.D. is this year’s recipient of the 20th annual Gordon E. Moore medal. SCI established the Gordon E. Moore medal to recognize early-career success in innovation, as reflected both in market impact and improvement to quality of life. Aou, Research and Development (R&D) Fellow at Dow, will be presented the award at Innovation Day, hosted jointly by SCI and the Science History Institute, on September 12, 2023 at the Science History Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“Kaoru Aou’s research at Dow has led to breakthroughs in the fundamental science of polyurethanes,” said Frank Bozich, President and CEO of Trinseo and Chair of SCI America. “This extraordinary work was followed by another breakthrough in applied chemistry—certainly one in a century for polyurethanes and likely for chemistry—which led to a new thermoset PU resin market. These are incredible accomplishments.”
Aou’s breakthroughs required multi-disciplinary expertise in chemical synthesis, material science, analytical chemistry, and engineering. His innovations bridged the research continuum from ideation to product production at a commercial scale. Collectively, Aou’s discoveries and related developments have led to three areas of application with more than $300M in new product sales since launch. The market impact goes beyond Dow and has enabled customers to accelerate emerging products such as bed-in-a-box, more sustainable products like single material mattress solutions that are easier to recycle by eliminating moisture or heat management layers, and more sustainable processes such as shale gas.
“This notable award presented to Kaoru recognizes the exemplary contributions he has made to the science and development of polyurethanes that have had a significant commercial impact,” said Sarah Eckersley, Vice President of Polyurethanes R&D at Dow. “His ardent curiosity and collaborative spirit have led to accomplishments that Dow and the Global R&D organization is proud of.”
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About Kaoru Aou
Kaoru Aou is an R&D Fellow in Dow’s Polyurethanes Product R&D business. His work centers around the development of new products and applications using polyurethanes.
Aou has led the development and commercialization of several polyurethanes technologies in markets that include the consumer comfort space and oil and gas. He has recently been focused on the automotive industry; particularly around innovative thermosets needed for the rapidly growing electric vehicle segment.
He is a Dow-certified Six Sigma Black Belt, has been granted 21 U.S. patents, given 20 external publications/presentations, including peer-reviewed academic publications, and produced more than 150 internal company reports. He has been recognized with several individual and team awards such as the 2014 Dow Gulf Coast Scientists Excellence in Science Award, the 2014 CPI Innovation Award for the TERAFORCE™ Polyurethane resin-coating technology for silica sand proppants in hydraulic fracturing, the 2016 Best Presentation award from the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) for the VORA Zzz™ High Air Flow Viscoelastic Foam technology the 2018 ACS Brazosport Local Section Volunteer of the Year award, the 2019 Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers Professional Achievement award, the R&D 100 award in 2014, 2017, and 2018 from R&D Magazine.
In 2018 Aou was invited by the National Academy of Engineering as one of 30 early-career US-based researchers, to the Japan/America Frontier of Engineering (JAFOE) Symposium. In 2022, he was one of 45 scientists in chemistry inducted as a 2022 American Chemical Society Fellow.
Aou received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in polymer science and engineering at UMass Amherst. He joined Dow in 2007 and started his career in the Polyurethanes Product R&D organization. Prior to Dow, he worked at G.E. Plastics Japan (now part of SABIC) in 1999 as a summer intern and at 3M Germany for a 6-month Praktikant program in 2000. He served as Treasurer of the Brazosport Local Section of the ACS from 2009 to 2018. He continues to serve as a journal peer reviewer (referee) since 2008, for the journals Polymer (Elsevier) and Macromolecules (ACS).
About the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI)
SCI America, launched in 1894, is part of the Society of Chemical Industry’s international organization. It provides a unique networking forum for chemical industry leaders, industrial scientists, and technologists to exchange new business ideas and best practices. It celebrates achievement to promote public awareness of the contributions of industrial chemistry and inspires students to enter technical careers. SCI America also offers its members the opportunity to become part of its growing network by participating in its annual Innovation Day, where young industry leaders come together to celebrate innovation in the chemical industry and to seek solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.
By highlighting extraordinary individuals and their work, SCI America aims to promote public understanding of research and development in modern chemical industries, enhance the interest of students in applied chemistry by providing role models, and emphasize the role of creative research in the global economy. For more information, visit https://sci-america.org/ SCI America events are managed by the Science History Institute.
About the Science History Institute
The Science History Institute collects and shares the stories of innovators and of discoveries that shape our lives, with a special focus on the history of chemistry, chemical engineering, and the life sciences. The Institute houses an archive and a library for historians and researchers; a fellowship program for visiting scholars from around the globe; a community of researchers who examine historical and contemporary issues; an award-winning digital content platform that includes articles, podcasts, and videos; an acclaimed museum that is free and open to the public; and a state-of-the-art conference center. For more information, visit sciencehistory.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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SCI America Names Nobel Laureate Frances Arnold 2023 Perkin Medal Winner
The Caltech professor will receive the highest honor in industrial chemistry on September 13 in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA | SCI Award NYC 2023–
The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) America announced today that Frances Arnold, the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner and the Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology, will receive the 2023 Perkin Medal at an award ceremony being held in her honor at the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia on September 12, 2023.
“Dr. Arnold has spent nearly 30 years refining directed evolution methods specifically to be useful to humankind—and these methods are today used in numerous industrial applications to develop new enzyme catalysts,” said Frank Bozich, president and CEO of Trinseo and chair of SCI America. “She is one of the most honored chemists in the world, and we are thrilled to celebrate her accomplishments this fall.”
The SCI Perkin Medal is recognized as one of the highest honors given for outstanding work in applied chemistry in the United States. It commemorates the discovery of the first synthetic dye—Perkin mauve—by Sir William Henry Perkin in 1856.
The Perkin Medal Selection Committee, which includes the chairs or presidents of the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Science History Institute, and the Society of Chemical Industry, noted Arnold’s pioneering work on directed evolution technology, which resulted in breakthroughs in biocatalysis. The ability of enzymes to add value to the chemical industry is a direct result of her research. The committee also noted that in addition to these applications across a spectrum of industries, Dr. Arnold has also founded several successful companies.
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About Frances Arnold
Frances Arnold is the Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2018 for pioneering directed enzyme evolution and has used directed protein evolution for applications in alternative energy, chemicals, and medicine. In 2021 Arnold was appointed cochair of President Biden’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Other awards include the Charles Stark Draper Prize of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (2011), the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation (2011), and the Millennium Technology Prize (2016). She has been elected to the U.S. National Academies of Science, Medicine, and Engineering, and was appointed to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in 2019. Arnold cofounded three companies in sustainable chemistry and renewable energy (Gevo, Provivi, Aralez Bio) and serves on the boards of several public and private companies. She earned a BS in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University and a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
About the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) Perkin Medal
This annual award is recognized as the highest honor given for outstanding work in applied chemistry in the United States. It commemorates the discovery of the first synthetic dye (the so-called Perkin mauve) by Sir William Henry Perkin in 1856. This discovery was a significant step forward in organic chemistry that led to the birth of a major segment of the chemical industry. The SCI Perkin Medal was first awarded to Sir William at a banquet held by the SCI in New York in 1906. Since then, more than 100 such awards have been given to notable scientists.
About the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI)
Established in 1894, SCI America is part of the Society of Chemical Industry’s international organization. It provides a unique networking forum for chemical industry leaders, industrial scientists, and technologists to exchange new business ideas and best practices. It celebrates achievement to promote public awareness of the contributions of industrial chemistry and inspires students to enter technical careers. SCI America events are managed by the Science History Institute. The Perkin Medal award dinner will be the final event of Innovation Day, a full day of research collaboration in the molecular sciences held at the Institute in Philadelphia on September 12, 2023.
About the Science History Institute
The Science History Institute illuminates the science and technology that is “hidden in plain sight” by exploring lesser-known and often overlooked stories. We dive deep into the history of scientific successes and failures, uncovering the strange surprises and mishaps that have led to discovery and innovation. We tell the stories behind the science. Visit the Institute’s museum and library, listen to our podcasts, read our magazine and blog, attend our programs, and browse our digital collections. It’s all free so you can be free to discover the science in your life. For more information, visit sciencehistory.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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2022
Bhavesh (Bob) V. Patel to be awarded prestigious SCI Chemical Industry Medal at celebratory event March 7, 2023 in New York
Philadelphia, PA | November 20, 2022– The Society of Chemical Industry, America Section (SCI America), announced today that the 2023 SCI Chemical Industry Medal will be awarded to Bhavesh (Bob) V. Patel, Chief Executive Officer of W. R. Grace & Co., a Standard Industries company. Patel will receive the award on March 7, 2023, during a celebratory event at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
The SCI Chemical Industry Medal honors an individual whose leadership, commitment and contributions have been responsible for initiating substantial progress in and driving high performance in the chemical industry. In addition to being a guiding force in the leadership of their organization, recipients are recognized for their service to the industry as a whole.
“Bob has earned a well-deserved reputation for being a transformative leader in our industry. For well over a decade, he has been at the leading edge of the most pivotal issues facing our industry, particularly the effort to eliminate plastic waste from the environment,” said John Paro, Chair of SCI America.
“As a co-founder of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, he collaborated with other leaders to bring organizations from across the value chain together to identify meaningful solutions. We are pleased to honor him with this year’s medal.”
“I share this recognition with my current and former colleagues, whose contributions to the industry over the years have changed it for the better,” said Bob Patel. “Chemistry touches all of our lives, every day, in every community around the world, and I’m extraordinarily grateful for the opportunity to play a role in the advancement of our industry and its important work.”
Patel is the CEO of Grace, a position he has held since January 2022. Grace, a Standard Industries company, is a global leader in specialty chemicals with two industry-leading business segments—Catalyst Technologies and Materials Technologies—providing innovative products, technologies and services that enhance the products and processes of customers around the world.
Prior to joining Grace, Patel served as CEO of LyondellBasell, one of the largest chemicals, plastics and refining companies in the world. He joined LyondellBasell in 2010, serving as Senior Vice President and then Executive Vice President of the Olefins and Polyolefins (O&P) Americas, Europe, Asia and International (EAI), and technology business segments. He was subsequently named CEO in January 2015.
During this tenure as CEO, LyondellBasell embarked on a period of growth. Under his leadership, the company built new world-scale production facilities, expanded its market presence in Asia and made a number of strategic acquisitions, including A. Schulman, Inc., making LyondellBasell the largest manufacturer of compounded materials in the world.
For more than 20 years prior to LyondellBasell, Patel held positions of increasing responsibility at Chevron Corporation and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company. Over the course of his career, he has held leadership positions based in the Netherlands, Singapore and the United States.
Patel earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from The Ohio State University and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Temple University. He serves on several boards, including the Houston Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Halliburton Company, and is a member of the Business Council. He is also on the external advisory council of the College of Engineering at The Ohio State University and the Board of Visitors of the Fox School of Business at Temple University.###
About the Chemical Industry Medal
The Chemical Industry Medal has been awarded by SCI America for more than 85 years. Presentation is made annually to a recipient selected by the Executive Committee of the America Section of the SCI. The Chemical Industry Medal is a testimonial to men and women whose leadership, foresight, and contributions to applied chemistry have been, to a considerable degree, responsible for the growth of that industry. The medal has attained distinction by reason of the outstanding achievements and caliber of those who have been honored. Past recipients include Mark Vergnano, Christopher Pappas, Craig Rogerson, Steve Pryor, Sunil Kumar, and Andrew N. Liveris. For a complete list of winners, see SCI CIM winners.
About the Society of Chemical Industry
SCI America was founded in 1894 in New York City. It provides a unique networking forum for chemical industry leaders, industrial scientists, and technologists to exchange new business ideas and best practices. It celebrates achievements in industrial chemistry through three medal awards: The Perkin Medal, the Chemical Industry Medal, and the Gordon E. Moore Medal. The organization works to inspire students to enter technical careers by offering its members an opportunity to participate in an annual scholars program. SCI America also offers its members the opportunity to become part of its growing network by participating in its annual Innovation Day, where young industry leaders come together to celebrate innovation in the chemical industry and to seek solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.
By highlighting extraordinary individuals and their work, SCI America aims to promote public understanding of research and development in modern chemical industries, enhance the interest of students in applied chemistry by providing role models, and emphasize the role of creative research in the global economy. For more information, visit SCI America’s website: www.sci-america.org.
SCI America events are managed by the Science History Institute: sciencehistory.org.
SCI America Joins FOSSI Program
The Future of STEM Scholars Initiative provides $40,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors pursuing preferred STEM degrees at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Philadelphia, PA | April 25, 2022– The Society of Chemical Industry America (SCI America) today announced its engagement in the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI), the chemical industry’s collaborative equity, diversity, and inclusion initiative aimed at creating pathways for more underrepresented groups to enter and succeed in science, technology, education, and math (STEM) careers in the chemical industry.
FOSSI is a national scholarship program which provides incoming college freshman $40,000 scholarships and connects them to leadership development, mentoring, and internship opportunities at sponsoring companies. FOSSI creates lasting and meaningful relationships between students and sponsors, helping to create a diverse pipeline of future workforce talent. FOSSI has an ambitious goal of supporting 1,000 scholars through 2025, at an investment of nearly $50 million.
SCI America will sponsor two scholars over the next four years, joining a growing list of organizations who together have raised more than $16 million.
“SCI America is proud to expand our annual scholars program to include two FOSSI scholarships through 2026. Our membership is strongly committed to increasing access for all students to the STEM field and FOSSI’s program is indeed the standard for promoting inclusion of Black students in the chemical sector,” said SCI America’s Chair John Paro, Chairman and CEO of Hallstar.
“FOSSI brings together the industry’s collective might to make a significant impact on the future of the chemical industry. As a former SCI America Executive Committee member, I am thrilled that they will be supporting FOSSI scholars,” says FOSSI Chairman Mark Vergnano. “We are grateful to SCI America for their support in this important initiative and look forward to working with their team to create opportunities and pathways for success for these deserving scholars.”
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About the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative
The Future of STEM Scholars Initiative was founded in 2020 by the American Chemistry Council, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, The Chemours Company, and the HBCU Week Foundation. FOSSI is a national chemical industry-wide program which provides scholarships to students pursuing degrees in relevant science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), helping to eliminate financial barriers for historically under-represented groups. Sponsored by chemical manufacturers and related industry stakeholders, FOSSI provides scholarship recipients $10,000 per year for four years and connects these students to leadership development, mentoring, and internship opportunities at participating companies. Learn more at FutureofSTEMscholars.org.
Chemour’s Mark P. Vergnano to Receive Prestigious 2022 SCI Chemical Industry Medal
PHILADELPHIA – October 20, 2021 The Society of Chemical Industry, America Section (SCI America), announced today that Mark P. Vergnano will be awarded the 2022 SCI Chemical Industry Medal. Vergnano, Chairman of the Board of Directors for The Chemours Company, served as Chemours’ President and CEO from July 2015 through July 2021. He served on the board of SCI America for many years, most recently as Chair of the Audit Committee.
The 2022 Chemical Industry Medal marks the return of the black-tie affair to New York’s Plaza Hotel where guests will gather in-person on March 8, 2022 for the first time since 2019. The program will feature remarks from Honoree Mark Vergnano. The event is the main fundraising event for SCI America, a nonprofit organization founded in 1894. Tickets and tables to the event may be purchased through SCI America,
sci-america@sciencehistory.org.
“Through his leadership, Mark built Chemours into a leader in the safe and efficient production of high-quality industrial chemical products,” said John Paro, chair of SCI America. “He has established himself as a leading voice in the specialty chemical sphere and, as Chair of the Future of Stem Scholars Initiative (FOSSI), a program which provides scholarships to students pursuing STEM degrees at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, helped to establish an innovative program to encourage minority students to pursue careers in industrial chemistry.”
The SCI Chemical Industry Medal honors an individual whose leadership, commitment, and contributions have been responsible for substantial progress and performance of the chemical industry. In addition to being an active guiding force in the leadership of their organization during periods of expansion, challenging conditions, or new directions, recipients are known for service rendered to the industry as a whole.
Mark P. Vergnano serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for The Chemours Company, a $6B revenue chemistry company named to the Fortune 500 in 2018. He previously served as the company’s initial President and CEO upon its spinoff from DuPont in July 2015 until July 2021. At Chemours, Vergnano nurtured a culture within the company that mirrored its values of customer centricity, safety obsession, unshakeable integrity, simplicity and collective entrepreneurship. During his tenure, Vergnano and the Chemours leadership team streamlined the Chemours’ business and cost structure; successfully managed its legacy liabilities; reduced its net debt to EBITDA ratio from 6x to 3x; increased EBITDA and free cash flow by over 100% and significantly increased the company’s market cap. Vergnano has over 40 years of industrial experience with a legacy of thoughtful and results-driven leadership.
Vergnano began his career at DuPont in 1980 as a process engineer in its fibers business. He went on to serve the company in various leadership capacities and geographic locales over the next 35 years with distinction, culminating in his appointment as Executive Vice President in October 2009. As Executive Vice President, Vergnano oversaw over half of DuPont’s businesses (Electronics, Safety & Protection, Chemicals) and several of its corporate functions (Communications, Marketing and Sales, Safety and Sustainability).
Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Vergnano received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Connecticut and a Master’s degree in business administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a member of the University of Connecticut School of Engineering Academy of Distinguished Engineers and Hall of Fame.
Vergnano is a member of the Board of Directors of Johnson Controls International. He is the past Chairman of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) Board of Directors, past Chairman of the National Safety Council Board of Directors, and a past board member of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). He serves on the advisory board for the University of Connecticut School of Engineering and is the present Chair of the Future of Stem Scholars Initiative (FOSSI), a national chemical industry-wide program which provides scholarships to students pursuing STEM degrees at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and connects these students to internships, leadership development and mentoring opportunities at participating companies.
Vergnano is the primary donor of the Vergnano Institute for Inclusion at the University of Connecticut, where he serves as the Chairman of the Institute’s Advisory Council. Vergnano will be the 2021 recipient of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers “Doing a World of Good Medal”, was named the EY Entrepreneur of the Year for Philadelphia in 2019 and was the 2018 recipient of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ Government and Industry Leaders (AGILE) Award.
Kevin Maloney, PhD, to receive 2022 Gordon E. Moore Medal
Chemist from Merck’s Process Research Lab is recognized for his leadership pharmaceutical manufacturing processes to be honored on September 13, 2022
PHILADELPHIA, April 18, 2022 – The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) America announced today that Kevin Maloney, PhD, is the recipient of the 19th annual Gordon E. Moore medal. SCI established the Gordon E. Moore Medal to recognize early-career success in innovation, as reflected both in market impact and improvement to quality of life. Dr. Maloney, research chemist at Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, will be presented the award at Innovation Day, hosted jointly by SCI and the Science History Institute on September 13, 2022 at the Science History Institute in Philadelphia.
“Dr. Maloney’s research at Merck has already made important impacts on human health,” said John Paro, Chair and CEO of Hallstar and Chair of SCI America. “His work is having a direct impact on people’s daily quality of life and his research has laid the groundwork for a more sustainable and efficient future for pharmaceutical chemistry.”
Dr. Maloney is known for leading three key innovative new technologies while at Merck, including using chemocatalysis in the production of ceftolozane synthesis, making the process more efficient in terms of waste and production time; using flow chemistry to synthesize gefapixant, Merck’s second introduction of a plug flow reactor for large scale manufacture; and the pioneering use of biocatalysis to engineer enzymes for use in the synthesis of islatravir. These innovations have led to more sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing processes at Merck.
“Dr. Maloney has demonstrated an unparalleled passion for pushing the frontiers of chemistry and reimagining how those innovations impact the way we manufacture our therapies,” said Rebecca Ruck, Assistant Vice President, Process Research and Development, Merck.
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About Kevin Maloney
Dr. Kevin M. Maloney is Executive Director, Process Chemistry, Merck Research Laboratories. Since joining Merck in 2007, he has held positions of increasing responsibility within the Process Research & Development organization. Throughout his time at Merck, he has successfully pursued a series of breakthrough innovations using enabling technologies in synthetic organic chemistry to develop green, sustainable, and cost-effective manufacturing processes for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API).
Dr. Maloney’s leadership has been instrumental in driving innovation on both the current and future pipeline and developing the next generation of talent. His teams have employed chemocatalysis, flow chemistry and biocatalysis to develop green and sustainable commercial manufacturing processes for ceftolozane sulfate (the antibiotic in ZerbaxaTM), gefapixant (an investigational candidate for the treatment of chronic cough), and islatravir (an investigational candidate for the treatment for HIV). Through his leadership, a revolutionary advance in nucleoside synthesis for islatravir was developed utilizing an enzymatic cascade process that has changed the way chemists think about making nucleosides. Building on this innovative approach, a green and sustainable three-step process utilizing a novel biocatalytic cascade was developed for molnupiravir (LagevrioTM). Additionally, Dr. Maloney has collaborated with his colleague, Dr. Patrick Fier, to establish a research program developing new synthetic methodologies focused on a novel hydroxylation reaction to prepare complex phenols (Maloney-Fier Hydroxylation) and on transformation of sulfonamides for late-stage functionalization, resulting in five publications in top-tier journals.
As a self-professed green chemistry champion, Dr. Maloney leads Merck’s Green & Sustainable Science Team, which focuses on reinforcing the role of green chemistry in pharmaceutical manufacturing through external and internal advocacy. In this role he has organized the annual Merck Green & Sustainable Science symposium and established API sustainability targets for small molecules as part of the Merck corporate sustainability goals. Over the past five years, Merck has received five consecutive Environmental Protection Agency Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. Lastly, Dr. Maloney is influential in the science community with more than 45 publications, several invited lectures and was recently awarded the inaugural ACS Division of Organic Chemistry Mid-Career Industrial Investigator Award.
Dr. Maloney holds a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under Prof. Rick Danheiser, and a BS from Stetson University.
Dennis Liotta, PhD, to receive 2022 Perkin Medal

Emory University’s Dennis Liotta to Receive Prestigious 2022 Perkin Medal
Dr. Dennis Liotta to be honored by the Society of Chemical Industry on September 13, 2022 PHILADELPHIA, March 15, 2022 – The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) America announced today that Dennis Liotta, PhD, Emory University, will be awarded the 2022 Perkin Medal at an award ceremony in Philadelphia, PA on September 13, 2022.
“Dr. Liotta’s work has directly impacted the lives of millions of individuals around the world living with HIV/AIDS. His discovery of emtricitabine and lamivudine was pivotal in changing the tide of the AIDS epidemic,” said John Paro, Chair and CEO of Hallstar and Chair of SCI America. “In the past 20 years he has continued to make contributions to the biopharmaceutical sector, with his research playing a role in many lifesaving therapies.”
The Perkin Medal Selection Committee, consisting of the Chairs or Presidents of the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Science History Institute, and the Society of Chemical Industry, noted Dr. Liotta’s groundbreaking research in the biopharmaceutical space and work with antivirals, in relation to AIDS/HIV and other viruses such as Hepatitis B and SARS-CoV2. His founding of both Emory Institute for Drug Development (EIDD) and the Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory (DRIVE) has resulted in a remarkable output of research and a mentorship pipeline. The Committee also noted his many commercial accomplishments to bring drugs to market through his various companies. His most recent remarkable accomplishment is the approval of molnupiravir, a drug that was developed by EIDD/DRIVE for combating multiple viral diseases and that has recently received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the US and UK for treating COVID-19 patients.
Dr. Liotta will receive the medal at a dinner in his honor on September 13, 2022 at the Hyatt at the Bellevue in Philadelphia.
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About Dennis Liotta
Dennis Liotta, PhD, serves as Executive Director of the Emory Institute for Drug Development and Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Emory University. Dr. Liotta is recognized as one of the premier discoverers of novel therapeutics in the United States, having been the inventor of record for several clinically important antivirals and associated with the invention of ten FDA approved therapeutics.
Dr. Liotta’s research has focused on the discovery and development of antiviral, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents. He is one of the leaders of the Emory research team that discovered the antiviral drug, Emtriva (emtricitabine), which was approved for treating HIV in July 2003 and is now used by more than 90 percent of HIV/AIDS patients in the United States, and by thousands more around the globe. Emtriva is a component of the triple combination therapy, Atripla, which is now universally accepted as the drug combination of choice for treating HIV infected patients. In addition, he is the inventor of record for several antivirals, including Epivir, Reverset, Racivir, and Elvucitabine. Other medicinal inventions generated by Liotta’s lab over the years include therapies for everything from cancer and rheumatoid arthritis to hepatitis B.
Dr. Liotta joined Emory in 1976. Since that time, he has authored over 230 research publications and more than 70 issued US patents. Dr. Liotta has also supervised numerous postdoctoral and graduate students and has received several teaching awards, including Emory University’s Thomas Jefferson Award, the highest faculty honor given at Emory. He is a fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Chemical Society. Dr. Liotta was elected to the National Academy of Inventors in 2014 and the Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame in 2010. Dr. Liotta also is the co-director of the Republic of South Africa Drug Discovery Training Program and a member of the Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Research Program at Winship.
2021
Craig A. Rogerson to receive 2021 Chemical Industry Medal
Hexion’s Craig A. Rogerson to be given 2021 Chemical Industry Medal
PHILADELPHIA – February 22, 2021 – The Society of Chemical Industry, America Section (SCI America), announced today that the 2021 SCI Chemical Industry Medal will be awarded to Craig A. Rogerson, Chairman, President, and CEO of Hexion Inc. Mr. Rogerson will receive the award in an online celebratory event on March 9, 2021. This event will also honor the SCI 2020 Chemical Industry Medal winner Christopher D. Pappas, recently retired CEO of Trinseo. The 2020 medal ceremony was canceled due to the pandemic.
This evening will feature Governor John Kasich, who will give the keynote speech. Governor Kasich is an American politician, author, and television news host who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 2001 and as the 69th Governor of Ohio from 2011 to 2019.
The SCI Chemical Industry Medal honors an individual whose leadership, commitment, and contributions have been responsible for substantial progress and performance of the chemical industry. In addition to being an active guiding force in the leadership of their organization during periods of expansion, challenging conditions, or new directions, recipients are known for service rendered to the industry as a whole.
Craig Rogerson is Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer at Hexion Inc. Mr. Rogerson joined Hexion in July 2017. Prior to joining Hexion, he served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Chemtura Corporation, a position he held from December 2008 until April 21, 2017. Mr. Rogerson also served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Hercules Incorporated from December 2003 until November 2008.
Mr. Rogerson joined Hercules in 1979 and served in a number of management positions before leaving the company to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of Wacker Silicones Corporation in 1997. In May 2000, Mr. Rogerson rejoined Hercules and was named President of its BetzDearborn Division in August 2000. Prior to being named CEO of Hercules in December 2003, he held a variety of senior management positions with the company, including president of the FiberVisions and Pinova Divisions, vice president of Global Procurement, and Chief Operating Officer.
Mr. Rogerson serves as independent board chair of PPL Corporation and on the boards of the American Chemistry Council, the Society of Chemical Industry, and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and he is a former member of the Board of Directors of Ashland Global Holdings Inc.
In 2009, Mr. Rogerson was inducted into the Delaware Business Leaders Hall of Fame, which recognizes business leaders who have positively impacted workforce and economic development in the region through their strategic management, entrepreneurship, invention or innovation. Mr. Rogerson was also named to the GAMCO Management Hall of Fame in 2009 for his leadership and contributions in enhancing shareholder value.
He holds a chemical engineering degree from Michigan State University. He serves on the advisory board of the Michigan State University Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Department and was recently appointed to the Michigan State University College of Engineering Alumni Board. In addition, the Craig A. Rogerson Endowed Professorship of Chemical Engineering at Michigan State University was established in 2016.
Christopher D. Pappas served as President and CEO of Trinseo from June 2010 through March 2019, playing a central role in the company’s formation in 2010 via spin-off from Dow Chemical, through its ownership by private equity with Bain Capital Partners, to an initial public offering and listing on the NYSE in 2014, followed by further expansion through acquisition and market-driven growth.
In 2018 Institutional Investor magazine ranked Pappas as the #1 CEO among mid-cap publicly traded chemical companies for 2018, based on voting from investors and sell-side research analysts. In 2017 Pappas received the Leadership Award for Outstanding Corporate Reinvention from the American Chemical Society’s New York Section for his visionary leadership, focus on safety and technology, financial discipline, and for Trinseo’s growth, in which the company more than tripled in value between 2014 and 2017. He was named to the list of “CEOs Who Get It” by the National Safety Council (NSC) and Safety+Health Magazine in 2017.
Mr. Pappas started his career at The Dow Chemical Company, where he gathered industry experience in a number of sales and managerial positions between 1978 and 1995. In 1995 he joined DuPont Dow Elastomers LLC where he held several leadership positions, initially as Vice President of Ethylene Elastomers and from 1999 onwards as Commercial Vice President. He joined NOVA Chemicals Corporation in 2000. At Nova, he assumed roles with increasingly global responsibilities, as Senior Vice President & President, Styrenics (2000-2006), Chief Operating Officer (2006-2008), President and Chief Operating Officer (2008-2009), and finally as President and CEO of NOVA in 2009.
Mr. Pappas is currently a member of the board of directors of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) and Univar, Inc. (NYSE: UNVR), and he is a former member of the board of directors of Trinseo (NYSE: TSE), Methanex Corp., NOVA Chemicals Corporation, and Allegheny Energy, Inc.
He was named to the Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2015, and with his wife Susan is the sponsor of the Susan G. and Christopher D. Pappas Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Mr. Pappas holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania.
Carla Pereira, PhD, to receive 2021 Gordon E. Moore Medal
PHILADELPHIA, June 22, 2021 The Society of Chemical Industry America (SCI), announced today that Dr. Carla Pereira of ExxonMobil will be awarded the 18th annual SCI Gordon E. Moore Medal.
Dr. Pereira is a technology leader at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, where her work includes developing a novel solvent technology that enables energy efficient removal of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from natural gas streams. The removal of hydrogen sulfide is an essential processing step in the production of natural gas and clean fuels.
“Governments around the world have adopted stricter clean air regulations on sulfur admissions from processing facilities which typically required more equipment and more energy,” said John Paro, Chairman and CEO of Hallstar and Chair of SCI America. “Carla’s breakthrough work on OASE® sulfexx™ allows for efficient removal of hydrogen sulfide while lowering energy consumption, helping processors meet their sustainability goals. SCI is pleased to honor her outstanding work and contribution to science and industry.”
“We are proud that Carla’s research, tenacity, and collaborative spirit are being honored with this prestigious award,” said Michael Zamora, Senior Vice President of ExxonMobil Chemical Company. “As the ExxonMobil lead on this project, Carla’s innovative thinking and creativity propelled the team to overcome hurdles and develop a new technology that will benefit the industry and society as we look to reduce emissions and meet the world’s demand for energy.”
Dr. Pereira joined ExxonMobil Research and Engineering in 2014 as a senior researcher and became Section Head of the Process Intensification group in 2018. There, she led the testing of new absorbent molecules, designing and constructing new testing apparatus which helped her team to gain a better understanding of the chemistry and physical properties of the new molecules. She has co-authored a book, published 34 journal articles, and holds 5 granted patents.
The SCI established the Gordon E. Moore Medal to recognize early-career success in innovation, as reflected both in market impact and improvement to quality of life. Dr. Pereira will be presented the award at a luncheon in her honor during Innovation Day hosted jointly by SCI and the Science History Institute (the Institute) on September 14, 2021 at the Institute’s headquarters in Philadelphia.
About Carla Pereira
Dr. Pereira is a section head at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, where her work includes researching and developing new solvent technology for use in the gas industry. She led a team that collaborated with BASF to create OASE® sulfexx™, a highly energy efficient gas treating technology. This technology is critical for energy efficient production of natural gas and clean fuels that meet increasingly strict clean air regulations on sulfur emissions from processing facilities.
Dr. Pereira received her PhD in chemical and biological engineering from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Porto in 2009 and served as a postdoctoral researcher and associate researcher at the university. She joined ExxonMobil Research and Engineering in 2014 as a senior researcher and became section head of process intensification in 2018.
In 2012, she received the PSE Model-Based Innovation Prize for her co-authored paper on a new technology application for green solvent and biofuel production. Dr. Pereira co-authored the book Simulated Moving Bed Technology, Principles, Design and Process Applications in 2015 and has published 34 journal articles. She holds 5 granted patents.
About OASE® sulfexx™OASE® sulfexx™ is a highly energy efficient gas treating technology jointly developed by ExxonMobil and BASF, which helps refiners and gas processors to meet their sulfur removal targets while reducing carbon footprint. OASE® sulfexx™ provides a competitive advantage by increasing plant capacity and lowering investment and production costs. The technology is trademarked and available for licensing through BASF.
2020
Trinseo’s Christopher D. Pappas to Receive Prestigious 2020 SCI Chemical Industry Medal
Award to be presented in New York City on March 10, 2020.
PHILADELPHIA – November 5, 2019 —The Society of Chemical Industry, America Section (SCI America), announced today that the 2020 SCI Chemical Industry Medal will be presented to Christopher D. Pappas, recently retired CEO of Trinseo. He will receive the medal at a formal dinner convened in his honor on March 10, 2020 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
The SCI Chemical Industry Medal honors an individual whose leadership, commitment, and contributions have been responsible for substantial progress and performance of the chemical industry. In addition to being an active guiding force in the leadership of their organization during periods of expansion, challenging conditions, or new directions, recipients are known for service rendered to the industry as a whole.
“In serving the chemical industry for more than 40 years in several companies, Chris Pappas embodies leadership and integrity, having built his career around the concepts of respect for people, focus on company culture, and business accountability,” said Craig Rogerson, Chair of SCI America. “During a period where companies have experienced ownership changes through carve-outs, private equity ownership, and IPOs, Chris demonstrated how to confidently steer enterprises through these changes, while also being a visible advocate for our industry.”
Mr. Pappas served as President and CEO of Trinseo from June 2010 through March 2019, playing a central role in the company’s formation in 2010 via spin-off from Dow Chemical, through its ownership by private equity with Bain Capital Partners, to an initial public offering and listing on the NYSE in 2014, followed by further expansion through acquisition and market-driven growth.
In 2018 Institutional Investor magazine ranked Pappas as the #1 CEO among mid-cap publicly traded chemical companies for 2018, based on voting from investors and sell-side research analysts. In 2017 Pappas received the Leadership Award for Outstanding Corporate Reinvention from the American Chemical Society’s New York Section for his visionary leadership, focus on safety and technology, financial discipline, and for Trinseo’s growth, in which the company more than tripled in value between 2014 and 2017.
He was named to the list of “CEOs Who Get It” by the National Safety Council (NSC) and Safety+Health Magazine in 2017.
Pappas started his career at The Dow Chemical Company, where he gathered industry experience in a number of sales and managerial positions between 1978 and 1995. In 1995 he joined DuPont Dow Elastomers LLC where he held several leadership positions, initially as Vice President of Ethylene Elastomers and from 1999 onwards as Commercial Vice President. He joined NOVA Chemicals Corporation in 2000. At Nova, he assumed roles with increasingly global responsibilities, as Senior Vice President & President, Styrenics (2000-2006), Chief Operating Officer (2006-2008), President and Chief Operating Officer (2008-2009), and finally as President and CEO of NOVA in 2009.
Mr. Pappas is currently a member of the board of directors of Trinseo (NYSE: TSE), FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) and Univar, Inc. (NYSE: UNVR), and he is a former member of the board of directors for Methanex Corp., NOVA Chemicals Corporation, and Allegheny Energy, Inc.
He was named to the Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2015, and with his wife Susan is the sponsor of the Susan G. and Christopher D. Pappas Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Mr. Pappas holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania.
The Chemical Industry Medal has been awarded by SCI America for more than 85 years. Presentation is made annually to a recipient selected by the Executive Committee of the America Section of the SCI. The Chemical Industry Medal is a testimonial to men and women whose leadership, foresight, and contributions to applied chemistry have been, to a considerable degree, responsible for the growth of that industry. The medal has attained distinction by reason of the outstanding achievements and caliber of those who have been honored. Past recipients include Steve Pryor, Sunil Kumar, Andrew N. Liveris, David N. Weidman, J. Brian Ferguson, Michael E. Campbell, and Jeffrey M. Lipton. For a complete list of winners, see SCI CIM winners.
Wei Wang, PhD, to receive 2020 Gordon E. Moore Medal

PHILADELPHIA, April 28, 2020 –The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) America announced today that Wei Wang, PhD, is the recipient of the 17th annual Gordon E. Moore medal. SCI established the Gordon E. Moore Medal to recognize early-career success in innovation, as reflected both in market impact and improvement to quality of life. Dr. Wang, senior research chemist at PPG, will be presented the award at Innovation Day, hosted jointly by SCI and the Science History Institute (the Institute) on September 22, 2020. Because of the pandemic, this year’s event will be held online.
“Dr. Wang’s work in designing novel polymers and developing their use in formulations to solve coating issues for PPG has been remarkable,” said John Paro, Chair and CEO of Hallstar and Chair of SCI America. “He is a key contributor to the success of PPG’s developments in polymer science and their use in advancing the automotive coating industry’s efforts around energy conservation and productivity improvement.”
Dr. Wang was a key contributor to the success of PPG’s 3C1B (three-coat one bake) compact process automotive coatings technology in which three coating layers are applied wet-on-wet-on-wet and then baked together. 3C1B eliminates heated dehydration and the curing step between layers and was commercialized at an automotive OEM plant in Shanghai, China in 2016. The polymer technology enables the overall desired appearance of the coating stack, as well as the physical properties of the cured film.
“The technology developed by Dr. Wang and his team have enabled automotive OEMs to cut energy consumption by 30%, reduce CO2 emission by 43%, VOCs by 7%, and reduce process time by 30%,” said Dr. David Bem, PPG Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. “These outcomes represent significant sustainability benefits to our customers. We are proud Dr. Wang is being recognized for these accomplishments.”
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About Wei Wang
Wei Wang started his career at PPG in 2010. He has worked in the polymer synthesis, process innovation, and coating formulation groups. He is the co-inventor of several innovative technologies at PPG, including new solvent and water-based polymer dispersion technologies for automotive coatings; sound dampening coatings with broader effective temperature ranges and 100% solids content; and a new polymer platform for low temperature cure based products with novel polymer functionality and structure.
In 2016, he worked in close collaboration with the PPG research and development team in Europe to develop a low-temperature cure coating (LTC), where the baking temperature was reduced from 140°C to 105°C. LTC technology relies on a basecoat and two-component clear coat, formulated to bond and cure at 40°C lower than the standard. The polymers used in this formulation increase chemical hydrophobicity and decrease water permeability, while a novel cross linker enables the low curing temperature. The technology was successfully launched in 2017 and was the finalist for the R&D 100 award in 2018. Dr. Wang is currently focusing on developing novel polymer functionality and structure design for broader low temperature cure applications.
He earned a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Zhejiang University in China and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University in Canada, where his main academic research was focusing on polymer reaction engineering. Dr. Wang has published 16 journal articles, and he holds 21 granted and pending U.S. patents.
PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD™
At PPG (NYSE:PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and specialty materials that our customers have trusted for more than 135 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $15.1 billion in 2019. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com.
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Jane Frommer, PhD, to Receive Prestigious 2020 Perkin Medal

World-renowned scientist known for seminal contributions to the areas of electronically conducting polymers and scanning probe instrumentation to be honored by the Society of Chemical Industry on September 22, 2020
PHILADELPHIA, March 24, 2020 –The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) America announced today that Jane Frommer, PhD, Science Advisor at Collabra Inc., will be awarded the 2020 Perkin Medal at an award ceremony in Philadelphia, PA on September 22, 2020.
“The work Dr. Frommer has done around nanoscopic analytical methods is vital to thin film and nano-structural efforts now pervasive throughout industries,” said John Paro, Chair and CEO of Hallstar and Chair of SCI America. “Over three decades she has shared her pioneering work at IBM Research with the industrial and academic communities through an abundance of publications and public lectures. SCI is pleased to reward Dr. Frommer’s remarkable success in the industry, her contributions to science, and her commitment to mentoring the next generation of scientists.”
The Perkin Medal Selection Committee, consisting of the Chairs or Presidents of the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Science History Institute, and the Society of Chemical Industry, noted Dr. Frommer’s groundbreaking research in conducting polymers and on scanning probe microscopies and their application to practical, real-world problems of vital importance to industry’s research, development, and manufacturing quality. Her pioneering activity of demonstrating molecular underpinnings in materials science and her leadership in the field of scanning probe nanotechnology worldwide, and the impact of her discoveries on the technical industrial community at large, led them to choose her as the 2020 Perkin medalist.
Dr. Frommer will receive the medal at a dinner in her honor on September 22, 2020 at the Hyatt at the Bellevue in Philadelphia.
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About Jane Frommer
Dr. Frommer’s approach of bringing chemical awareness to physics and engineering in R&D environments is illustrated in the two areas of conducting polymers and scanning probe microscopy. She began her career in 1980 at Allied Corporate Laboratories (now Honeywell) where, motivated to perform mechanistic studies, she created and studied the solution state of electronically conducting organic polymers. In 1986 she joined IBM Research – a nexus for scanning probe invention – where, together with instrumentalists, they demonstrated unambiguously the ability to image and manipulate single molecules with STM (scanning tunneling microscopy). On a multiyear assignment to the University of Basel Physics Institute in the early 90s, her academic team expanded the capability of scanning probes into measuring functional properties of organic thin films with AFM (atomic force microscopy). In doing so, they demonstrated the method’s ability to distinguish between different molecular species within monolayers.
Since 2018 she has served as a science advisor on behalf of Google to expand their presence in open source data in the physical and life sciences. She also advises numerous Silicon Valley start-ups in addressing the chemical and material challenges of nanotechnology.
Frommer has been an avid mentor to high school and college students, most of whom are first in their families to seek a higher education. She is active in the ACS at the local and national levels, an associate editor of the Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology, and a panelist and reviewer for numerous public and private science and community organizations. Dr. Frommer has authored over 100 refereed publications and is co-inventor on over 50 issued patents. She is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society and the 2017 recipient of the ACS Award in Industrial Chemistry.
Dr. Frommer obtained her B.S. degree in chemistry from Tufts University while performing bio-organic undergraduate research at MIT with Bill Rastetter. Following graduation, she worked in Vitamin D research with Michael Holick at the Mass General Hospital. She earned her Ph.D. degree from Caltech, studying transition metal-functionalized polymers and organometallic cluster compounds as models for Fischer-Tropsch catalysis with Bob Bergman.
About the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) Perkin Medal
The annual award is recognized as the highest honor given for outstanding work in applied chemistry in the United States. It commemorates the discovery of the first synthetic dye (the so-called Perkin mauve) by Sir William Henry Perkin in 1856. This discovery was a significant step forward in organic chemistry that led to the birth of a major segment of the chemical industry. The SCI Perkin Medal was first awarded to Sir William at a banquet held by the SCI in New York in 1906. Since then, more than 100 such awards have been given to notable scientists.
2019
Dr. Chad A. Mirkin Awarded Prestigious 2019 Perkin Medal

World-renowned chemist and nanoscience expert to be honored by the Society of Chemical Industry on September 10, 2019
PHILADELPHIA, March 14, 2019 – The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI), America Group, announced today that Dr. Chad A. Mirkin has won the 2019 SCI Perkin Medal. Dr. Mirkin is the Director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology and the George B. Rathmann Prof. of Chemistry, Prof. of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Prof. of Biomedical Engineering, Prof. of Materials Science & Engineering, and Prof. of Medicine at Northwestern University. This honor recognizes his contributions to nanotechnology and nanochemistry and the commercial products and process that are based upon them, including the invention and development of spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) and myriad nanopatterning methodologies.
“The work Chad has done in nanotechnology and supramolecular chemistry has resulted in innovative solutions that have a positive impact on people’s lives,” said Craig Rogerson, chair, president, and CEO of Hexion Inc. and Chair of SCI America. “The SCI is pleased to reward Chad’s remarkable success in the industry, his contributions to science, and his commitment to developing diagnostic and therapeutic tools for the benefit of society.”
The Perkin Medal Selection Committee, consisting of the Chairs or Presidents of the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Science History Institute, and the Society of Chemical Industry, noted Dr. Mirkin’s considerable contributions to chemistry, especially with regards to health care. “Dr. Mirkin’s diagnostic inventions are used in half of the world’s top hospitals today, resulting in better doctoring, a better patient experience, a reduction in antibiotic resistance, and in lowering health care costs,” said Dr. Robert G. W. Anderson, President and CEO of the Science History Institute. “He exemplifies what the Perkin Medal stands for.”
Dr. Mirkin will receive the medal at a dinner in his honor on September 10, 2019 at the Hyatt at the Bellevue in Philadelphia.
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About Chad A. Mirkin
Dr. Chad A. Mirkin is known for his discovery and development of spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) and SNA-based biodetection and therapeutic schemes, the invention of Dip-Pen Nanolithography (DPN) and related cantilever-free nanopatterning methodologies, On-Wire Lithography (OWL), Co-Axial Lithography (COAL), and contributions to supramolecular chemistry and nanoparticle synthesis. He is the author of over 730 manuscripts and over 1,100 patent applications worldwide (over 330 issued), and the founder of multiple companies, including AuraSense, Exicure, TERA-print, and CDJ Technologies.
Dr. Mirkin has been recognized for his accomplishments with more than 130 national and international awards, including the inaugural NAS Sackler Prize in Convergence Research, the Linus Pauling Medal, the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize, and the iCON Innovator of the Year Award. He served as a Member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science & Technology (Obama Administration) for eight years, and he is one of very few scientists to be elected to all three US National Academies (Medicine, Science, and Engineering), and in addition, he is a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Inventors, the American Chemical Society, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Materials Research Society. Mirkin has served on the Editorial Advisory Boards of over 20 scholarly journals and at present is an Associate Editor of JACS and a PNAS Board Member. He is the Founding Editor of the journal Small, one of the premier international nanotechnology journals, and he has co-edited multiple bestselling books.
Dr. Mirkin holds a B.S. degree from Dickinson College (1986, elected into Phi Beta Kappa) and a Ph.D. degree in Chemistry from the Penn. State Univ. (1989). He was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at the MIT prior to becoming a professor at Northwestern Univ. in 1991.
2019 SCI Gordon E. Moore Medal awarded to The Chemours Company’s John Sworen

Technical Fellow to be honored by the Society of Chemical Industry and Science History Institute
PHILADELPHIA, April 16, 2019 – The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI), America Group, announced today that John Sworen of The Chemours Company will be awarded the 16th annual SCI Gordon E. Moore Medal.
John is a Technical Fellow at The Chemours Company, where his work includes product development of non-fluorinated durable water repellents for use in the consumer textile market. John led a team that invented the Zelan™ technology platform, a superhydrophobic material that has been adopted by many major brand houses.
“Increased demand for renewably sourced products without sacrificing performance durability calls for innovative ideas to deliver a superior product,” said Craig A. Rogerson, Chairman, President, and CEO of Hexion Inc. and Chair of SCI America. “John’s work on Zelan™/ Teflon EcoElite™ exceeds expectations, delivering a breakthrough technology committed to reducing the environmental footprint of treated fabrics. SCI is pleased to honor John’s outstanding work and contribution to science and industry.”
“The world is demanding more sustainable solutions, and John has delivered,” said Paul Kirsch, president of Fluoroproducts at Chemours. “His work on Teflon EcoElite™ has given the textile industry the first-ever non-fluorinated plant-based durable water repellant, which is no small feat. We are so proud that he has received this richly-deserved recognition and can’t wait to see what he will discover next,” he added.
John began his career as a research investigator at Chemours predecessor company DuPont. There he led the company’s development of fluorinated surface protection products, inventing and commercializing 18 products used as paper, textile, and tile repellents with best-in-class toxicology profiles. He has published 13 journal articles and holds 27 granted and pending patents. In 2018 Teflon EcoElite™ was the third-place winner for the Product of the Year award at the Bio-Based World News Innovation Awards.
SCI established the Gordon E. Moore Medal to recognize early-career success in innovation, as reflected both in market impact and improvement to quality of life. John will be presented the award at a luncheon in his honor during Innovation Day, hosted jointly by SCI and the Science History Institute (the Institute) on September 10, 2019 at the Institute’s headquarters in Philadelphia.
About John Sworen
John is a Technical Fellow at The Chemours Company, where his work includes product development of non-fluorinated durable water repellents for use in the consumer textile market. John led a team that invented the Zelan™ technology platform, a superhydrophobic material that has been adopted by many major brand houses.
John began his career as a research investigator at Chemours predecessor company DuPont. While at DuPont, he led the company’s development of fluorinated surface protection products, inventing and commercializing 18 products used as paper, textile, and tile repellents with best-in-class toxicology profiles.
In 2008 John received the Bolton/Carothers Innovative Science Award for the development of a short-chain soil protectant used in carpeting materials. In 2018 Teflon EcoElite™, one of the products developed by John’s team at Chemours, was the third-place winner for the Product of the Year award at the Bio-Based World News Innovation Awards. Teflon EcoElite is the company’s non-fluorinated, renewably sourced, 60% plant-based water repellent.
He holds a B.S. in Chemistry from The Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organic and Polymer Chemistry from the University of Florida. John is a Six Sigma Black Belt, has published 13 journal articles, and he holds 27 granted and pending patents.
About the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) Gordon E. Moore Medal
The Society of Chemical Industry – America Group has established the SCI America Gordon E. Moore Medal as the premier recognition for early career success in innovation, as reflected both in market impact and improvement to the quality of life.
About the Society of Chemical Industry
SCI America was founded in 1894 in New York City. It provides a unique networking forum for chemical industry leaders, industrial scientists, and technologists to exchange new business ideas and best practices. It celebrates achievements in industrial chemistry through three medal awards: The Perkin Medal, the Chemical Industry Medal, and the Gordon E. Moore Medal. The organization works to inspire students to enter technical careers by offering its members an opportunity to participate in an annual scholars program. SCI America also offers its members the opportunity to become part of its growing network by participating in its annual Innovation Day, where young industry leaders come together to celebrate innovation in the chemical industry and to seek solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.
By highlighting extraordinary individuals and their work, SCI America aims to promote public understanding of research and development in modern chemical industries, enhance the interest of students in applied chemistry by providing role models, and emphasize the role of creative research in the global economy. For more information, visit SCI America’s website: www.sci-america.org. SCI America events are managed by the Science History Institute.
About the Science History Institute
The Science History Institute collects and shares the stories of innovators and of discoveries that shape our lives. The Institute preserves and interprets the history of chemistry, chemical engineering, and the life sciences. Headquartered in Philadelphia, with offices in California and Europe, the Institute houses an archive and a library for historians and researchers, a fellowship program for visiting scholars from around the globe, a community of researchers who examine historical and contemporary issues, an acclaimed museum that is free and open to the public, and a state-of-the-art conference center.
About The Chemours Company
Powered by more than 7,000 employees around the globe, The Chemours Company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of fluoroproducts, chemical solutions, and titanium technologies. Chemours was founded in 2015 and is a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company that previously operated as DuPont’s performance chemicals business. Last year the company served 3,700 customers in 120 countries and reported $6.6 Billion in revenue.
In 2018 Chemours announced its first corporate responsibility goals that the company seeks to accomplish by 2030. The goals, which are aligned to correspond with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, include working to reduce its carbon footprint, developing sustainable applications for its products, hiring a diverse workforce, and investing $50 million in STEM education programs in the communities where it operates.
Contacts
Jody Roberts, Science History Institute
jroberts@sciencehistory.org
Resa Thomason, Executive Director, SCI-America
rthomason@sciencehistory.org
Exxon Mobil’s Neil A. Chapman to Receive 2019 SCI Chemical Industry Medal

2019 Medalist – Neil A. Chapman
The Society of Chemical Industry, America Section (SCI America), presented the 2019 SCI Chemical Industry Medal to Neil A. Chapman, Senior Vice President of Exxon Mobil Corporation on March 12, 2019 at the Essex House in New York City.
“Neil has been a driving force in growing the value of ExxonMobil. He has succeeded in leveraging advantaged manufacturing assets and the differentiated portfolio of brands and products of the company,” said Craig Rogerson, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Hexion, Inc. and chairman of the Society of Chemical Industry. “His foresight in investing in opportunities across the fuels, lubricants and chemical businesses to improve feedstock flexibility, increase higher-value products, enhance operational efficiency, increase logistics capabilities and optimize marketing channels has been a boon to the entire industry. We are thrilled to honor him at the ceremony in March.”
Chapman joined Esso Chemical in 1984 at the Esso refinery in Fawley, U.K. He has held a range of senior engineering, operations, planning and marketing roles in various chemicals affiliates in the United Kingdom, Belgium, United States and Hong Kong.
Following the merger of Exxon and Mobil, Chapman was chemicals sales manager in the Asia Pacific region and project executive of the Fujian Integrated Refining and Ethylene Joint Venture Project in China. In 2002, he joined the Fuels Marketing division as head of ExxonMobil Aviation International Ltd. in the United Kingdom before becoming vice president, Industrial and Wholesale Fuels based in the United States.
Chapman became vice president for the global polyethylene business unit of ExxonMobil Chemical Company in 2005, and was appointed executive assistant to the chairman of Exxon Mobil Corporation in 2006. He became president of ExxonMobil Global Services Company in 2007 and was appointed senior vice president for polymers with ExxonMobil Chemical Company in 2011. In 2015 he was named president of the ExxonMobil Chemical Company.
Under Chapman’s leadership, ExxonMobil Chemical has grown as a global leader in the petrochemicals industry, delivering industry-leading financial performance underpinned by operational excellence, technology, integration, and global reach. Through clear and compelling strategies and business plans, the company has built a global network of world-scale manufacturing facilities, technology centers, and businesses to become the leader in some of the largest-volume and highest-growth petrochemical markets. ExxonMobil Chemical benefits from its integration with ExxonMobil’s other business lines and operations, providing it with an unparalleled ability to serve customers as well as share technologies and best practices.
Chapman became senior vice president of Exxon Mobil Corporation Jan. 1, 2018, and serves as a member of company’s management committee with responsibility for ExxonMobil’s upstream businesses.
2018 & Prior
American Chemistry Council’s Cal Dooley to receive 2018 SCI Chemical Industry Medal
2018 SCI Chemical Industry Medal Winner – Cal Dooley
The Society of Chemical Industry, America Section (SCI America), announced today that the 2018 SCI Chemical Industry Medal will be presented to Cal Dooley, former Member of Congress and current President and CEO of the American Chemistry Council. He will receive the medal at a dinner in his honor on March 6, 2018 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.The SCI Chemical Industry Medal honors an individual whose leadership, commitment and contributions have been responsible for substantial progress and performance of the chemical industry. In addition to being an active guiding force in the leadership of their organization during periods of expansion, challenging conditions, or new directions, recipients are known for service rendered to the industry as a whole.
“Cal Dooley is celebrated for his role in strengthening the competitive position of U.S. chemical manufacturers by advocating for a business and regulatory climate that drives innovation, supports job growth and enhances safety,” said Chris Pappas, President and CEO of Trinseo and chair of SCI America. “Under Cal’s leadership, ACC has achieved some of its greatest successes in recent memory, including the modernization of chemicals management regulation. His leadership and vision have helped enact policies that enable the growth of the Business of Chemistry, while protecting health, safety and the environment in our nation.”
Dooley’s leadership has been critical to ensuring that policymakers understand the link between the chemical industry and growth in America’s manufacturing sector that will drive U.S. competitiveness, boost exports, and create new, high-paying jobs. These achievements have created a more favorable environment for the business of chemistry in the U.S. – contributing to the industry’s historic growth during his tenure, which currently stands at $180 billion in new capital investment and 300 new industry projects including new manufacturing facilities, expansions and restarts of sites that had been shuttered during the economic downturn.
In 2016, Dooley was recognized as one of the most influential lobbyists in Washington by The Hill magazine. His effectiveness stems from the relationships he built during his 12 years as in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a moderate Democrat representing Central California from 1991 to 2004, he served on the House Agriculture Committee, as well as the House Resources Committee.
“During his time in Congress and in his current role, Cal has built a reputation as a pragmatic, pro-business moderate, whose personal integrity commands the respect of federal regulators and legislators on both sides of the aisle,” said Pappas.
A fourth generation farmer, Dooley holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of California, Davis and, as a Sloan Fellow, earned a master’s degree in management from Stanford University.
Dow’s Steven Swier to Receive 2018 SCI Gordon E. Moore Medal
Research scientist to be honored by the Society of Chemical Industry
MIDLAND – May 22, 2018 – The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI), America Group, announced today that Dr. Steven Swier of The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) will be awarded the 15th annual SCI Gordon E. Moore Medal.
SCI established the Gordon E. Moore Medal to recognize early-career success in innovation, as reflected both in market impact and improvement to quality of life. Steven will be presented the award at a luncheon in his honor during Innovation Day hosted jointly by SCI and the Science History Institute (the Institute) on September 25, 2018 at the Institute’s headquarters in Philadelphia.
Steven has applied his expertise in the multi-faceted area of silicone science to discover and implement several life changing technologies. A Principal Research Scientist for Dow, Steven has used his materials science knowledge to control the molecular architecture and micro-structure of silicone materials to enhance performance. He’s been granted 28 U.S. patents and developed technologies specifically leveraging high temperature silsesquioxane resins in a wide variety of applications including protective coatings, printed circuit boards, LED lighting, beauty/health care, and electronics.
“Steve’s work with silicones has truly made a positive impact on our planet,” said Craig A. Rogerson, Chairman, President and CEO of Hexion Inc. and Chair of SCI America. “He’s been a big part of Dow making vast improvements and inventions in a wide variety of areas from LED light and film technology to green tires. His work affects people on a day-to-day basis while also reducing our carbon footprint. The SCI is pleased to honor Steve’s outstanding work and contribution to science.”
“Dr. Swier’s contributions to innovation in the field of silicone copolymers and LED encapsulation are simply extraordinary,” said Florian Schattenmann, vice president of Research & Development for Consumer Solutions at Dow. “He truly has a passion for his work. He has made many essential discoveries that significantly enhance properties of many Dow Performance Silicones products, impact people’s lives, and contribute to the sustainability of our planet. On behalf of Dow, we join SCI in celebrating this prestigious award.”
About Steven Swier
Steven is a Principal Research Scientist for The Dow Chemical Company. Over the last 13 years working within Dow Performance Silicones, a common thread of Steven’s work has been his development of silsesquioxane resins and, more recently, their phrase separated copolymers with linear units for high temperature applications. Steven began as a Resin Specialist in 2005. He advanced to a technical leader and used his innovation and leadership expertise to progress to his current role as a Principal Research Scientist where he champions and implements technologies from inception to commercialization.
Steven has also been a global technical leader for emerging LED film encapsulation and technical lead for technology and implementation teams. He’s published 27 journal articles and 77 internal technical research reports as well as two book chapters.
Steven received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1997 and a Ph.D. in Applied Science (Polymer Science) from the University of Brussels, Belgium. He won the Solvay Award for his PhD thesis in 2004. His DPS Technical Achievement Awards include his discovery of silsequioxane-siloxane copolymers in 2010, solid LED encapsulants for lighting in 2012, and a new hybrid technol
The Chemours Company’s Barbara H. Minor Awarded 2018 Perkin Medal
Chemical Engineer to Be Honored by The Society of Chemical Industry
PHILADELPHIA, May 17, 2018 –The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI), America Group, announced today that Barbara Haviland Minor, Corporate Fellow at The Chemours Company (Chemours) (NYSE: CC), has won the 2018 SCI Perkin Medal. This honor recognizes her contributions in the research and development of new refrigerants, known as Opteon™ refrigerants, to address concerns related to ozone depletion and global warming potential (GWP).
“The work Barbara has done in the world of refrigerants has resulted in innovative solutions that have a larger positive impact on people’s lives, all with a smaller environmental footprint,” said Craig A. Rogerson, Chairman, President and CEO of Hexion Inc. and Chair of SCI America. “The SCI is pleased to award Barbara’s remarkable success in the industry, her contributions to science, and her commitment to a more sustainable planet.”
Most recently, Minor developed several new low GWP refrigerants based on HFO technology for supermarket, transport and self-contained refrigeration and large building air conditioning. OpteonTM XP40 was designed for retrofit and new supermarket refrigeration systems to replace R-404A. Thousands of supermarkets globally have already been converted to XP40 since 2013, providing a significant, positive environmental impact. Other refrigerants in commercial use today include XP44 for refrigerated trucks and trailers, XP10 and XP30 for large building chillers, and recently commercialized XL20 and XL40 for condensing units, ice machines, and reach-in coolers and freezers.
“Barbara’s innovative contributions to science and technology matched with her deep understanding of customer and market needs have been central to the success of many new refrigerants,” stated Chemours CEO Mark Vergnano. “We are so proud that she has received this richly-deserved recognition for her many contributions to Chemours, the environment, and society as a whole.”
Minor will receive the medal at a dinner in her honor on September 25, 2018 at the Hyatt at the Bellevue in Philadelphia.
About Barbara H. Minor
After graduating from Bucknell University with a degree in Chemical Engineering, Minor joined the DuPont company in 1981 where she worked for 34 years. In 2014, Minor was one of the first women named a DuPont Fellow in the company’s 200+ year history, which is the highest technical level in DuPont. She joined Chemours, following its spinoff from DuPont in 2015 and is now one of only two corporate fellows in the organization.
Minor has spent most of her career developing non-ozone depleting and low global warming refrigerants for air conditioning and refrigeration applications. She developed several new refrigerants to help meet phase-out requirements for ozone-destroying CFCs and HCFCs and high global warming HFCs. In 2010, she was recognized for her contributions in the development of a low GWP hydrofluoroolefin refrigerant named HFO-1234yf (OpteonTM YF) for automotive air conditioning. Because HFO-1234yf contains an unsaturated double bond, it has >99% lower GWP than the current refrigerant HFC-134a used in vehicles today. It has been broadly adopted by the automotive industry and is used globally in over 50 million vehicles.
Minor holds over 160 US patents for refrigerants, cleaning agents, and aerosol propellants and has many publications in the field. She is well known not only for her technical accomplishments, but also for her strong mentoring of young scientists and her leadership roles in industry organizations such as the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). She is routinely regarded within the industry as the key thought and innovation leader.
2017 Chemical Industry Medal – Andreas C. Kramvis
Andreas C. Kramvis began his career in Europe and has global experience as an executive in a variety of industries. He joined Honeywell in 2000 after the company’s acquisition of Pittway. He became president and chief executive officer of Honeywell’s Environmental and Combustion Controls global business, where he achieved major increases in market share and established strong profitability.
In 2008 he was named president and CEO of Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies, a business group that he successfully guided through the recession, increasing sales by approximately 30 percent to become a $7 billion business.
He also worked in consumer goods for Cadbury-Schweppes PLC, computer peripherals with Comtech, and security with Pittway, which later became part of Honeywell.
Kramvis is a graduate of Cambridge University, where he studied engineering specializing in electronics, and he holds an M.B.A. from Manchester Business School. He is the author of the book Transforming the Corporation: Running a Business in the 21st Century, which demonstrates how to systematically transform a business for high performance.
2017 Gordon E. Moore Medal – Melinda H. Keefe

Dr. Keefe is Senior R&D Manager for Architectural Coatings with The Dow Chemical Company. She has been a driving force behind both a revolutionary new technology for coatings and for activities related to art conservation. Dr. Keefe and her coworkers developed a technology that improves the performance of titania in paints, and improved the performance of the paint as a result, and was a driver in the development and commercialization of a composite forming polymer marketed by Dow Coating Materials as EVOQUE™ Pre-Composite Polymer. In the near future, Dr. Keefe will transition to Associate R&D Director in Dow’s Core Formulation Sciences team where she will further leverage her coating expertise and customer engagement.
Her work in art conservation has included improving wet cleaning systems for acrylic painted surfaces and other water sensitive art. These new approaches to cleaning artwork are being broadly disseminated within the art conservation field via workshops, conferences, invited lectures and publications. A highlight of Dow’s contribution has been assisting Tate on solvent selection in support of the removal of graffiti ink from Mark Rothko’s painting Black on Maroon.
Keefe received a B.S. in Chemistry from Penn State University in 1997 and a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from Northwestern University in 2001. She was awarded the 2013 R&D 100 Award, 2013 Presidential Green Chemistry Award, the 2014 Fortune 500 “Heroes of the 500” Award, and the 2015 ACS Rising Star Award from the Women Chemists Committee of the American Chemical Society.
2016 Chemical Industry Medal – James L. Gallogly
Before joining LyondellBasell, Gallogly spent 29 years with Phillips, ChevronPhillips, and ConocoPhillips. At these affiliated companies he worked in both the petroleum and chemical businesses, acquiring increasing responsibilities and enjoying considerable success. At the time he left ConocoPhillips he was executive vice president for exploration and production. Prior to that he was executive vice president for refining, marketing, and transportation, and from 2000 to 2006 he served as the founding CEO of ChevronPhillips Chemical Company – a Phillips-Chevron joint venture.
Gallogly recently served as vice chairman of the board of the American Chemistry Council. He is also a member of the board of DuPont, the University of Oklahoma Gallogly College of Engineering Board of Visitors, the University of Colorado Engineering Advisory Council, and the University Cancer Foundation Board of Visitors at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Gallogly received a BA degree from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in 1974 and a law degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1977. He completed the Advanced Executive Program at the J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University in 1998.
2016 Perkin Medal – Peter Trefonas

Peter Trefonas, Ph.D., is a Corporate Fellow in The Dow Chemical Company, where he works within the Dow Electronic Materials Business Group.
Trefonas made major contributions to the development of many successful products which are used in the production of integrated circuits spanning multiple device design generations, from 2 micron to 14 nm node technologies. These include photoresists, antireflectant coatings, underlayers, developers, ancillary products, and environmentally safer green products. These electronic materials have had a high commercial impact, and have helped to facilitate the progress of the Information Age.
He is an inventor on 61 US patents, has over 25 additional published active U.S. patent applications, is an author of 99 journal and technical publications, and is a recent recipient of both the 2014 ACS Heroes of Chemistry Award and the 2014 SPIE Willson Award.
Trefonas earned his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry with Prof. Robert West at the University of WisconsinMadison in 1985 and his Bachelor of Science in chemistry at the University of New Orleans in 1980. Originally a native of New Orleans, Trefonas has lived with his family in Medway, Massachusetts for the last 27 years.
His research career began at Monsanto Electronics Materials Company. He then co-founded a start-up company called Aspect Systems Inc., which acquired lithographic chemicals technology spun off from Monsanto. He continued in electronic materials R&D as his career moved via acquisitions by Shipley Company, Rohm and Haas Company, and Dow. Prior to graduate school, Trefonas was also the creator of several commercial computer games which were popular on early microcomputer platforms.
2016 Gordon E. Moore Medal -Dr. Abhishek Roy

Peter Trefonas, Ph.D., is a Corporate Fellow in The Dow Chemical Company, where he works within the Dow Electronic Materials Business Group.
Abhishek Roy, Ph.D. Roy is the lead product research and development manager and technical platform leader for the reverse osmosis (RO) membrane chemistry platform of Dow Energy and Water Solutions.
Roy is credited as the primary inventor of DOW FILMTEC™ ECO Reverse Osmosis Elements. The solution fights water scarcity by delivering 40 percent better purification with 30 percent less energy and has the potential to impact millions of lives. FILMTEC™ ECO Elements require less energy to pump water through the membrane and less chemicals for cleaning. These combined benefits result in significant operational savings for customers, ranging from 16 to 19 percent.
Besides water-energy nexus, Roy and his team have contributed toward addressing two of the most critical emerging needs: increasing availability of fresh drinking water in developing countries and taking steps toward making water reuse economical and practical. Introduction of the breakthrough residential tankless product has reduced the footprint cost and DOW FILMTEC™ XFRLE product is enabling low-energy operation under challenging water in water reuse applications. These technologies have enabled more than 10 new products over the last five years.
Abhishek is the talented scientist behind the breakthrough innovation that will deliver a more sustainable water supply to the world,” says A.N. Sreeram, Dow senior vice president and chief technology officer. “We are proud that Abhishek’s outstanding contributions have been honored with the Gordon E. Moore Medal. It is a fitting recognition for work that will improve the lives of people around the world.”
Roy was honored with the prestigious Dow Sustainability Innovator Award in 2014. The DOW FILMTEC™ ECO Reverse Osmosis element is a ‘Breakthrough to World Challenges’ under Dow’s 2015 Sustainability Goals, recognition that the innovation played a significant role in the Company attaining these goals and that the product is both an ecological and commercial success. The DOW FILMTEC™ ECO Reverse Osmosis element is also a 2014 Edison Award winner in the Energy and Sustainability category.
The Moore Medal will be awarded on September 13, 2016, during a luncheon at the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) headquarters in Philadelphia as part of Innovation Day 2016. This event will be jointly hosted by SCI and CHF, bringing together more than 150 leading researchers from industrial laboratories to discuss current trends and issues in chemical research.
Roy earned his PhD from Virginia Tech under the guidance of James E. McGrath in the macromolecular science and engineering program. He has authored 30 peer reviewed journal articles and holds 10 issued patents, with many pending on his RO work. Roy was recognized with numerous awards including Dow’s prestigious Sustainability Innovator Award and Virginia Tech’s outstanding recent alumnus award from the College of Science.
2015 Chemical Industry Medal – Stephen D. Pryor

Steve Pryor is president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company in Houston, Texas, and vice president, Exxon Mobil Corporation. He joined Mobil Oil Corporation in 1971 as a marketing representative in New York and progressed through managerial assignments in finance, planning, information systems and public affairs. During the 1980s, he served as general manager in Cyprus and New Zealand, and in the 1990s, as vice president, U.S. Marketing and Refining; vice president, Mobil Chemical Company; president, Mobil Asia Pacific; and president, International Marketing and Refining.
Following the Exxon and Mobil merger in 1999, Steve was named president, ExxonMobil Lubricants and Specialties Company, and in 2002, executive vice president, ExxonMobil Chemical Company. In 2004, he was appointed president, ExxonMobil Refining and Supply Company and returned to ExxonMobil Chemical in 2008 as President. ExxonMobil Chemical has 10,000 employees and manufacturing operations in 15 countries on five continents.
ExxonMobil Chemical has shown significant growth during Steve’s tenure including an integrated refining and chemical manufacturing facility in Fujian, China; a doubling of chemical capacity in Singapore; a rubber and elastomers project with SABIC; and expansions in Baytown, TX
Steve has been a strong advocate for the chemical industry. He serves as a member of the ACC Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, and he heads the ACC Global Strategy Committee. He is also an active member of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Strategy Group of the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), where he has been instrumental in advancing worldwide industry adoption of the Responsible Care initiative. He has also served on the SCI America Executive Committee.
Steve earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Lafayette College, where he is vice chairman of the board of trustees and an MBA from Harvard University.
2015 Perkin Medal – Cynthia A. Maryanoff

Throughout a long and successful career as an industrial process chemist, Dr. Maryanoff has consistently demonstrated scientific excellence in taking products from the laboratory to commercial manufacture. Her focus on early process research emphasized a green-chemistry approach. She has influenced or directed the development of nearly 1000 drug candidates in the fields of antipsychotic and antiepileptic treatments, strong analgesics with transdermal delivery, pulmonary surfactants, cardiovascular disease, endocrine function, and antiviral agents. Some of the more notable are:
TOPAMAX – an anti-epileptic drug whose aggregate sales have surpassed $10 billion.
ULTRAM – an atypical analgesic, known better as tramadol, with over a billion dollars in sales used to treat moderate to severely moderate pain.
CYPHER – a drug-eluting stent (actually a medical device) whose product line has reached total sales of over $ 10 billion.
Although process development and scale-up are ordinarily considered engineering, in complex drug synthesis, basic chemistry is critical. Maryanoff was the bridge between the lab and commercial operation. She had an incredible track record of developing numerous commercial drug processes and never having a commercial manufacturing failure.
After receiving a B.S. in chemistry from Drexel University and a PhD in chemistry from Princeton, Maryanoff joined Smith, Kline & French Laboratories. She then went to McNeil Pharmaceutical, a Johnson & Johnson company. After a series of positions with increasing responsibilities, she was named a distinguished research fellow and in 2000 was named head of the ChemPharm Department with responsibility for 150 employees in the US, Belgium, and Switzerland. In 2013, she retired from J&J and continues her scientific career at the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute as a foundation distinguished professor. Maryanoff has 67 US/European patents issued or pending and has published more than 100 scientific papers.
Dr. Maryanoff has been recognized with many corporate, local and national awards. She received the Drexel University Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in 1999, the ACS Garvin-Olin Medal in 1999, the ACS Earle B. Barnes Award for Leadership in Chemical Research Management in 2005, the ACS Henry F. Whalen award for Business Development in 2007, and American Women in Science, Elizabeth Bingham Award in 2010. She was named a fellow for the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1991 and a fellow of the American Chemical Society in 2009.
2015 Gordon Moore Medal – Dr. John A. McCauley

Dr. John A. McCauley is a director of medicinal chemistry working in the field of HCV protease inhibitor drug design and synthesis at Merck Research Laboratories in West Point, Pa. HCV infection continues to represent a major health issue, with estimates of 130 million to 170 million people infected worldwide. Though hepatitis C is slow to progress, the disease ultimately leads to liver damage in up to 50% of affected individuals as well as carcinoma in a significant number of cases. Until 2011, standard treatment for HCV-infected patients was effective about 40% to 50% of the time. The success rate is improving dramatically with the introduction of new protease inhibitors.
Using a molecular modeling approach based on the enzyme crystal structure of HCV NS3 protease, Dr. McCauley and his team developed a strategy for macrocyclization of compounds to enhance interaction with the enzyme. To achieve these compounds, they designed a new synthetic route for constructing complex 20-membered macrocycles. His skills in design and synthesis led to multiple novel series of compounds with good pharmacokinetics and activity against resistant HCV mutant viruses. His efforts on these series were rewarded with the discovery of Vanihep® and grazoprevir, a next-generation compound currently in Phase III clinical studies.
Dr. McCauley earned a B.A. with honors in chemistry from Swarthmore College in 1991 and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, where he completed the total synthesis of rapamycin in the laboratory of Prof. Amos B. Smith, III. After working at Harvard University as an NIH postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Yoshito Kishi, he joined Merck in 1998 as a senior research chemist. He is currently a director of medicinal chemistry.
Over the past 17 years, Dr. McCauley and his group have been involved in the design and synthesis of nine compounds entering clinical development, including HCV NS3/4a protease inhibitors and additional compounds from antiviral and neuroscience programs. Dr. McCauley has co-authored 37 publications and is an inventor on 23 issued patents and 17 pending patent applications. In addition, he is a frequent guest lecturer who has given 18 invited presentations at national meetings and academic venues.
2014 Chemical Industry Medal – Sunil Kumar

Until his retirement in 2011, Sunil Kumar was CEO, President, and Board Member of ISP, a global manufacturer of specialty chemicals (2011 sales were $2.1 billion). ISP chemicals are used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food, and other industrial uses. In 2003, Kumar worked with an investors group to take the company private. Over his tenure, he made a number of accretive acquisitions and built exports to the point of representing 50 percent of sales and income. ISP maintained an admirable annual profit growth rate of 11 percent over 10 years and maintained the highest margins in their industry. Kumar became a leading spokesperson for the specialty chemicals segment and was frequently quoted in trade publications.
Prior to ISP, Kumar was President and CEO of GAF Materials Corporation ($3 nillion in sales), the world’s largest manufacturer of roofing products for residential and commercial buildings. Before that, he was Executive Vice President of Bridgestone/Firestone, and was responsible for Bridgestone/Firestone’s North American tires and auto services business which is now about $6 billion in annual sales. He had earlier started a business that became Firestone Building Products Company which is now a $1 billion manufacturer of roofing and insulation products.
After his retirement Sunil continues in the chemical industry through ownership of two specialty businesses — Universal Plastics Inc and Nylon Corporation of America. Additionally, he is Senior Advisor to Reliance Industries Limited.
Kumar was a Board Member of the American Chemistry Council from 1999-2011 and President of the Société de Chimie Industrielle from 2008-2010. He served as Chairman of the Society of Chemical Industry in 2009-2010. During his time as Chairman of SCI, he was instrumental in starting their SCI Scholars Program, an initiative to encourage college students to pursue careers in industrial chemistry and chemical engineering.
Kumar was selected to be the 2005 Specialty Chemicals CEO of the Year by Frost & Sullivan, a distinguished international industry and market research firm. In 2006, he was given the Distinguished Alumnus Award by his alma mater, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
A native of New Delhi, India, Kumar holds a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from IIT, and an MBA from the University of Louisiana.
2014 Perkin Medal – John C. Warner

John Warner is widely acknowledged as one of the founders of green chemistry. After a ten year career at Polaroid Corporation in Cambridge, MA, he joined the University of Massachusetts at Boston where he started the world’s first Green Chemistry Ph.D. program. His seminal book, coauthored with Paul Anastas, Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice, first described the “Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry”.
In the late 1980’s, Warner developed Non-Covalent Derivatization (NCD) technology. NCD is a unique method of synthesis to create new materials requiring fewer steps, less purification, and less waste. Today NCD technology is used for various industrial applications including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, construction materials and electronics.
In 2007, together with Jim Babcock, he co-founded the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry, creating a new model for a research company. The Institute’s goal is to work with companies to invent commercial technologies that have superior performance, cost, and are environmentally friendly.
As a chemical educator, Warner has had an extraordinary impact on the future directions of research. Under his leadership, UMass has created five graduate level classes on green chemistry addressing such topics as sustainable design. Dr. Warner received the 2004 US Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentorship. Through his non-profit organization, Beyond Benign, which is run by Warner’s wife Dr. Amy Cannon, educators can download lesson plans that focus on green chemistry and sustainability.
In 2009, the Council of Scientific Society Presidents honored Dr. Warner with the Leadership in Science Award for founding the field of Green Chemistry. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts-Boston and his M.S. and Ph.D. from Princeton in Organic Chemistry. John has five children and lives with his wife Amy in Wilmington, MA.
2014 Gordon E. Moore Medal – Andrew E. Taggi

The global population is greater than 7 billion and is projected to exceed 9 billion by 2050. Today, there are roughly 1 billion people who are undernourished, with global crop inventories at all‑time lows. As the global population is rising faster than available arable land area, farmers must continue to improve their productivity. Fungicides have become an integral part of efficient food production. New compounds help farmers compete in an environmentally sustainable way so that food is affordable and available.
For the past five years, Dr. Taggi was the principal chemist, and project team leader, for a program which has discovered and optimized a new broad spectrum cereal, fruit, and vegetable fungicide, which has a new mode of action distinct from all current commercial products. The total addressable market space for this project is over $6 billion.
Dr. Taggi joined DuPont in 2004 and is currently a Senior Research Associate at DuPont Crop Protection’s Stine-Haskell Research Center in Newark, Del. He has an impressive record of patents (23 published, 11 pending) and is co-author on 22 peer-reviewed articles. His body of work was recognized by the American Chemical Society both at the 2009 Young Industrial Investigators Symposium and also with a Division of Organic Chemistry Fellowship in 2001. Dr. Taggi has a BA in chemistry from Cornell University and an MA and PhD in synthetic organic chemistry from The Johns Hopkins University, where he developed novel catalytic asymmetric reaction methodology under the direction of Professor Thomas Lectka. Subsequently, Dr. Taggi returned to Cornell University as a Postdoctoral Associate with Professor Jerrold Meinwald, where he identified a new class of neuroactive natural products, contained within the venom of funnel web spiders.
2013 Chemical Industry Medal – Andrew N. Liveris

Through his remarkable leadership, Andrew Leveris built on Dow’s proud 115-year history and led its evolution into a chemistry based science company for the 21st century. He has also established himself as a leading voice in the chemical industry and is recognized as a thought leader for issues confronting advanced manufacturing in the US and around the world.
Liveris’ 36-year Dow career has spanned roles in manufacturing, engineering, sales, marketing, and business and general management. He began his Dow career in 1976 in Australia, and spent a large proportion of his career in Asia where his formative roles included 14 years in Hong Kong, general manager for the company’s operations in Thailand, and president of all Asia-Pacific operations. Liveris became a member of Dow’s Board of Directors in February 2004, and was named CEO in November 2004. He was elected as Chairman of the Board effective April 1, 2006.
An advocate for the criticality of manufacturing to the long-term health of a nation’s economy, Liveris served as Co-Chair of President Obama’s Advanced Engineering Partnership in the United States, and is the author of Make It in America, a book released in January 2011 which presents a comprehensive set of practical policy solutions and business strategies that outlines the Dow’s vision for an advanced manufacturing economy. In recognition of his efforts in this arena, Liveris has been honored with the 2011 Distinguished Performance Award for Excellence in Public Policy from the Committee for Economic Development, the Inspired Leadership Award from The Performance Theatre, the International Leadership Award from the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) and the Legend in Leadership Award by the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute.
Liveris sits on the board of directors of IBM, and was recently named as the first non-American chairman of the U.S. Business Council. He is a vice chair of the Business Roundtable, and previously served as president and chairman of the Board of the International Council of Chemical Associations and as a past Chair of the Society of Chemical Industry. Liveris is a member of the U.S. President’s Export Council, the US-India CEO Forum, the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and the American Australian Association. He serves on the board of trustees for The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, USCIB, and Tufts University.
He also worked in consumer goods for Cadbury-Schweppes PLC, computer peripherals with Comtech, and security with Pittway, which later became part of Honeywell. Born in Darwin, Australia, Liveris attended the University of Queensland in Brisbane, graduating with a bachelor’s degree (first-class honors) in Chemical Engineering. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of The Institute of Chemical Engineers, as well as a Fellow of the Australian Academy
2013 Perkin Medal – Bruce D. Roth
Bruce D. Roth began his academic career in in 1972 in Philadelphia, attending St. Joseph’s College, earning a bachelor of science degree in chemistry in 1976 He then went to Iowa State University as a doctoral student under George Kraus. After receiving his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Iowa State University in 1981, and a year as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Rochester, he joined Parke-Davis of Warner-Lambert Company as a Medicinal Chemist in 1982. He was promoted to Senior Scientist in 1984 and served in several other leadership roles during the next decade and a half.
In 2000, Roth was appointed Vice President of Chemistry just prior to the merger between Warner-Lambert and Pfizer. In 2007 he joined Genentech in San Francisco, California as Senior Director of Discovery Chemistry.
Roth first synthesized atorvastatin in 1985. For that discovery, he received many prestigious awards including the 2003 American Chemical Society (ACS) Award for Creative Invention, the 2003 Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Public Service given by the North East Region Section of the ACS, the 2005 Iowa State University Distinguished Alumni Award, and the 2006 Pfizer Global Research and Development Achievement Award.
In 2008 Roth returned to Philadelphia where the ACS named him a Hero of Chemistry.
In addition to his discovery of atorvastatin, Roth is the inventor or co-inventor on 42 patents and the author or co-author of 48 manuscripts, 35 published abstracts and eight book chapters. He also served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Michigan.
He and his wife, Michelle, have four children: David, Sarah, Rebecca and Aaron.
2013 Gordon E. Moore Medal – Jerzy Klosin

Klosin is a Research Fellow at Dow’s Core R&D facility located in Midland, Mich., where he has worked for 18 years. He focuses on the design of organometallic polyolefin catalysts. Through control of complex ligand frameworks, selection of metal centers, and co-catalyst combinations, he has enabled the successful commercialization of a number of product families. Klosin’s fundamental understanding of the influence of electronic and steric effects have allowed him to tailor the activity of catalytic metal centers to produce novel polyolefin materials. He has also been able to impart temperature stability that led to dramatic improvements in productivity and energy consumption.
Klosin holds 22 U.S. patents related to his areas of research. Respected throughout the industry for his thought leadership, Klosin has authored more than 40 papers that have been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented more than 25 invited lectures. He holds a Master of Science from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland, and a Ph.D in organic chemistry from the University of Florida in Gainesville.
About the Society of Chemical Industry America (SCI America)
Established in 1894, the Society of Chemical Industry America is a non-profit membership organization based in the Old City district of Philadelphia, PA. SCI America annually presents three premier awards that acknowledge technical and management achievement in industrial chemistry. Our annual Innovation Day conference allows researchers and technologists to exchange views on the state and future of chemical research. We also encourage young people to pursue careers in industrial chemistry through our scholarship programs.
About the Science History Institute
The Science History Institute collects and shares the stories of innovators and of discoveries that shape our lives. The Institute preserves and interprets the history of chemistry, chemical engineering, and the life sciences. Headquartered in Philadelphia, with offices in California and Europe, the Institute houses an archive and a library for historians and researchers, a fellowship program for visiting scholars from around the globe, a community of researchers who examine historical and contemporary issues, an acclaimed museum that is free and open to the public, and a state-of-the-art conference center.
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