Waldeck awarded 2024 Edward W. Morley Medal

David Waldeck, professor of chemistry and director of the Petersen Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, was awarded the 2024 Edward W. Morley Medal, presented by the Cleveland Section of ACS. Waldeck was presented with the Morley Medal at the Cleveland Section’s May 30 meeting, where he delivered the Morley address “Chiral-Induced Spin Selectivity (CISS) and Its Implications in Chemistry.”

Waldeck received his BS in chemistry from the University of Cincinnati and his PhD in chemistry from the University of Chicago. He served as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. Waldeck began his independent academic career at the University of Pittsburgh in 1985, where he rose through the ranks and then served as department chair for over a decade. Waldeck has made foundational contributions across a range of chemistry fields, including chemical physics and chemical education.

In 1999, Waldeck codiscovered, with Ron Naaman of the Weizmann Institute of Science, the CISS effect, which was featured in Science. CISS is a leading new theme in physical chemistry and is growing in importance for redox biochemistry, electrochemical synthesis, condensed matter physics, and prebiotic chemistry and origins of life.

The Cleveland Section of ACS sponsors the Morley Medal to recognize significant contributions to chemistry through achievements in research, teaching, engineering, research administration, or public service; outstanding service to humanity; or industrial progress in the region within roughly 250 mi (about 400 km) of Cleveland.