FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | April 18, 2012

American Chemical Society honors Congressman Bartlett, Senator Coons and former Senator Kaufman for Public Service

Press invited, B-338 Rayburn House Office Building, Tuesday, April 24, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2012 — U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and former U.S. Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-Del.) will receive the American Chemical Society's (ACS’) 2012 Public Service Award for their vision and leadership in public policy that benefits science and engineering.

Bartlett, Coons and Kaufman will be honored at a Capitol Hill ceremony and public reception on Tuesday, April 24, which will be held in B-338 Rayburn House Office Building from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

To attend, RSVP by Friday, April 20 http://tinyurl.com/ACSPSAward-Apr24-5pm or email: govtrelations@acs.org.

“I am very pleased that ACS is recognizing three congressional leaders who have dedicated their talents to public service and advanced science and engineering to secure the future of American innovation,” said ACS President Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, Ph.D. “We are honoring Rep. Bartlett, Sen. Coons and former Sen. Kaufman for their contributions that span critical policy areas that help science, engineering and innovation to thrive: scientific research; science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education; and a business climate that fosters innovation and U.S. global competitiveness.

“Our nation has grown and benefitted enormously over many decades thanks to our scientists, engineers and innovators,” said Shakhashiri. “Their work and their contributions are made possible thanks to the essential policies that support science, research and education that these three leaders have championed. Truly, their work has been in the service of the American public.”

The leaders will be recognized for their public service as follows:

Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett
Rep. Bartlett, a veteran scientist who invented life-support equipment used by military pilots, astronauts, search and rescue personnel and firefighters, has championed scientific research in Congress and science education for the youth of America. First elected to Congress in 1992, Bartlett describes himself as a “citizen-legislator not a politician.” One of three scientists in the Congress, Bartlett is a senior member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee and has been a strong supporter of defense science and technology during his service on the House Armed Services Committee. Earlier in 2012, he became the co-chair of the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Education Caucus. Also, Bartlett has personally funded scholarships on an annual basis for residents of Maryland’s 6th District pursuing undergraduate degrees in math, science or engineering. Prior to his election to Congress, Bartlett worked for more than 20 years as a scientist and professor for the National Institutes of Health, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and NASA. He was honored in 1999 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics with the Jeffries Aerospace Medicine and Life Sciences Research Award.

Sen. Chris Coons
Sen. Coons, in his first term as a U.S. senator, has worked hard to introduce legislation to help create jobs and grow our economy, particularly in the sciences. He was instrumental in passing the America Invents Act in 2011, the first comprehensive patent reform law in nearly 60 years, which was designed to make American scientists more competitive in the global arena of innovation. His first bill, introduced in April of 2011, the Job Creation Through Innovation Act, proposed making the research and development tax credit permanent, a critical step to making the U.S. business climate more conducive to innovation. Coons introduced the Senate resolution honoring 2011 as the International Year of Chemistry and worked to gather both Democratic and Republican co-sponsors. Coons has also become a significant sponsor of ACS Science & the Congress briefings covering a wide array of topics, including clean energy, biofuels and the role of science in promoting innovation and creating jobs. Coons serves on several Senate committees: Foreign Relations, Judiciary, Energy & Natural Resources and Budget. Prior to being elected to Congress, Coons served for a decade in the New Castle County Government in Delaware. Coons’ commitment to science policy is informed by his background; he received a B.A. in political science and chemistry from Amherst College.

Former Sen. Ted Kaufman
While a senator from 2009 to 2010, Kaufman served on the Foreign Relations, Armed Services, Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees. He was the only senator to have worked as an engineer and promoted the expansion of STEM education. He secured $400,000 to fund research and extension grants for women and minorities in STEM and authored the STEM Education Coordination Act, which establishes overall coordination of federal programs and activities in support of STEM education. He was the keynote speaker at the graduation convocations of the University of Delaware and University of Pennsylvania engineering schools and the annual national meeting of the Engineering Deans Institute. Kaufman received the American Society of Mechanical Engineering's prestigious President's Award, Duke University Engineering School’s Distinguished Alumni Award, Delaware Bioscience’s Government Official Award and the Leadership Award from the A. James Clark Engineering School at the University of Maryland.

“ACS created its Public Service Award to recognize the kind of leadership that these gentlemen exemplify, and it is fitting that they will be joining the list of distinguished recipients,” said Shakhashiri.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony in conjunction with the Council on Undergraduate Research's annual "Posters on the Hill” event. The posters represent a sampling of the latest, cutting-edge research from undergraduates in science, mathematics and the humanities.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society contact newsroom@acs.org.

###

Media Contact

Rachael Bishop
202-872-4445
r_bishop@acs.org