Irving Langmuir Award In Chemical Physics: George C. Schatz

Sponsor: GE Global Research and the American Chemical Society Division of Physical Chemistry

Citation: For broad-ranging contributions to theories in physical chemistry, including research in reaction dynamics, plasmonic spectroscopy, self-assembly of soft materials, and carbon-based nanomaterials.

Current position: Charles E. & Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry, professor of chemical and biological engineering, Northwestern University

Education: B.S., chemistry, Clarkson University; Ph.D., chemistry, California Institute of Technology

Schatz on his current scientific goals: “There are many new classes of materials based on diverse chemistries such as organic-inorganic hybrids, and multiscale structures from nano to micro, that are being developed by my colleagues and others. These provide new opportunities for theory, particularly with regard to emergent properties, with the discovery process only being limited by my imagination. It is an exciting time to be doing science.”

What his colleagues say:“I would characterize Schatz as a problem-oriented theorist. He will use a variety of theoretical techniques, and invent new ones as necessary, to attack the chemical problem at hand. He has done this better than anyone else and thus is richly deserving of the Langmuir Award.”—William H. Miller, University of California, Berkeley