American Chemical Society comment available Oct. 6 on 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2010 — To assist with coverage of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Oct. 6, the American Chemical Society (ACS) Office of Public Affairs will issue a comment from ACS President Joseph S. Francisco, Ph.D., immediately after the official announcement in Stockholm. Francisco will comment on how the research honored in the award impacts everyday life.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the chemistry prize, says the announcement will come no sooner than 5:45 a.m. United States Eastern Time on Oct. 6. Francisco will be available for telephone interviews beginning at 6:15 a.m. Journalists can schedule an interview in advance by contacting the ACS Office of Public Affairs (above) by 5 p.m. on Oct. 5. Reporters with early deadlines on Oct. 6 can contact the public affairs office to be placed on a priority list for distribution of Francisco’s comment.

Many past winners of the chemistry prize were ACS members and authors of research papers published in ACS’ suite of 38 peer-reviewed journals.

Joseph S. Francisco, Ph.D., is 2010 President of the American Chemical Society and William E. Moore Distinguished Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Science and Chemistry at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Francisco’s laboratory focuses on basic studies in spectroscopy, kinetics, and photochemistry of novel transient species in the gas phase. President Obama in September announced his intent to appoint Francisco to the 12-member committee that selects recipients of the National Medal of Science, the nation’s highest scientific honor. Francisco served as President of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers from 2005 to 2007. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a John Simon Guggenheim Fellow. Francisco received a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1983 and his B.S. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1977. The ACS President has published more than 400 journal articles, written nine book chapters and co-authored the textbook, Chemical Kinetics and Dynamics. He and his wife, Priya, reside in Zionsville, Ind.

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