Molina To Receive Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Mario Molina, a chemist who helped elucidate the role of chlorofluorocarbon gases in the destruction of Earth’s protective ozone layer and who has been an advocate for climate-change research, has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Molina shared the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with the late chemist F. Sherwood Rowland.

The honor puts the University of California, San Diego, professor of chemistry and biochemistry outside his usual scientific crowd. His 15 fellow awardees this year include TV host, actor, and media mogul Oprah Winfrey; country singer Loretta Lynn; and former president Bill Clinton.

“The Presidential Medal of Freedom goes to men and women who have dedicated their own lives to enriching ours,” President Barack Obama said in announcing the awards. “This year’s honorees have been blessed with extraordinary talent, but what sets them apart is their gift for sharing that talent with the world. It will be my honor to present them with a token of our nation’s gratitude.”

Born in Mexico, Molina, ever since winning his Nobel, has been active talking about and doing research related to global climate change.

In addition to his position at UCSD, Molina is director of the Mario Molina Center for Energy & Environment in Mexico City. An adviser to several U.S. presidents, he is a member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science & Technology, as well as the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine.

Molina is a 42-year member of the American Chemical Society.