Blavatnik awards to ACS members Shannon Boettcher and Joonho Lee

Shannon Boettcher, a professor of inorganic and materials chemistry at the University of Oregon, is the recipient of the 2023 Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists in the chemistry category. He will receive $250,000 in unrestricted funds.

Boettcher is recognized for the discovery of novel methods and materials to harness electrochemistry for sustainability. Discoveries made in his laboratory are being applied to improve industrial processes for hydrogen production and carbon capture.

Joonho Lee, an assistant professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Harvard University, is the recipient of 2023 Blavatnik Regional Award for Young Scientists in the chemistry category. These regional awards support outstanding postdoctoral scientists from academic research institutions across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Lee was nominated by Columbia University and will receive $30,000 in unrestricted funds.

Lee is recognized for his development of state-of-the-art quantum chemistry algorithms for classical and quantum computers. These algorithms are improving the microscopic understanding of emerging functional materials, such as solar cells, electrocatalysts for hydrogen economy, and optoelectronics.