Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award: Lawrence T. Scott

Citation: For pioneering research on the synthesis, properties, and chemical behavior of carbon-rich cyclic and polycyclic organic compounds.

Current position: professor emeritus, Boston College; adjunct professor, University of Nevada, Reno; visiting professor, Nagoya University

Education: A.B., chemistry, Princeton University; Ph.D., organic chemistry, Harvard University

Scott on his scientific role model:“My scientific role model is the late R. B. Woodward, my Ph.D. adviser at Harvard. The elegance and sheer beauty of his legendary total syntheses inspired countless chemists in my generation, and others who followed, to emulate his supreme mastery of the art form that he pioneered in chemistry. Furthermore, Woodward’s command of the English language and storytelling skills made his lectures mesmerizing and his published papers a joy to read. It terrified me to know that professor Woodward would be the first person to read my Ph.D. dissertation. Throughout my 44-year career as a university professor, I labored over every manuscript as though it would be read first by professor Woodward.”

What his colleagues say: “Larry Scott has blazed new trails in organic chemistry; his impact on the discipline has been exemplary. The significance of his creative and groundbreaking research and its potential benefits to society becomes more evident with each passing year during which the field of carbon-based materials continues to evolve and gain prominence.”—Amir Hoveyda, Boston College