FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | October 05, 2011

2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Comment from American Chemical Society President

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2011 — Nancy B. Jackson, Ph.D., president of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, comments on today’s award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Daniel Shechtman, Ph.D., for research leading to the discovery of quasicrystals.

“It’s a great work of discovery, with potential applications that range from light-emitting diodes to improved diesel engines. As President of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, I am delighted to give warm congratulations on behalf of our more than 163,000 members. Coming as it does during the International Year of Chemistry, the prize showcases chemistry’s global reach and impact in improving life. Years of hard work and dedication lie behind this Nobel Prize. Great people like Dr. Shechtman inspire us all with their contributions to science and humanity.”

News media can arrange telephone interviews with Jackson or ACS 2011 President-Elect Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, Ph.D., through the contacts at the top of this page.

Nancy B. Jackson, Ph.D., is 2011 President of the American Chemical Society and manager of the International Chemical Threat Reduction Department at Sandia National Laboratories, which assists the U.S. Department of State and other federal agencies in solving problems related to international chemical security. Jackson is a National Affiliate of the National Academies where she has served on several boards and chaired studies. She is a Research Associate Professor, Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Department, University of New Mexico. Jackson has a B.S. degree in chemistry from George Washington University and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering, University of Texas at Austin.

Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, Ph.D., is 2011 President-Elect of the American Chemical Society and will serve as president in 2012. The William T. Evjue Distinguished Chair for the Wisconsin Idea at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he is former assistant director of the National Science Foundation for Science and Engineering Education and internationally noted for leadership in promoting excellence in science education. The Encyclopedia Britannica cites him as the “dean of lecture demonstrators in America.” Shakhashiri‘s scholarly publications, including the multi-volume series, Chemical Demonstrations: A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry, are models of learning and instruction that have been translated into several languages.

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