Plyler Prize Goes To Mark Johnson

Mark A. Johnson, Arthur T. Kemp Professor of Chemistry at Yale University, has been awarded the 2006 Earle K. Plyler Prize for Molecular Spectroscopy, sponsored by the George E. Crouch Foundation of the American Physical Society (APS). The award honors Johnson's work on the structure of water.

Johnson and his colleagues have used molecular spectroscopy and other methods to investigate the behavior of water in an effort to understand why this seemingly simple liquid is the "fluid of life." Recent studies by Johnson and his colleagues have focused on how protons and electrons dissolve in or are held by water molecules. His group is now studying how acids dissociate upon contact with water.

The prize, which will be awarded this month during the APS meeting in Baltimore, recognizes and encourages notable contributions to the field of molecular spectroscopy. Johnson will present a talk on his work and receive a certificate along with an honorarium.