British chemistry professor wins Grady-Stack award for science communication

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2018 — Sir Martyn Poliakoff, Ph.D., research professor of chemistry at the University of Nottingham (U.K.), is the 2019 recipient of the American Chemical Society’s (ACS’) Grady-Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public.Since 2008, Poliakoff has collaborated with filmmaker Brady Haran in the production of nearly 650 videos about chemistry on the YouTube channel Periodic Videos. These include individual videos for all 118 elements, as well as highlights of Nobel Prize achievements. As of mid-September 2018, Periodic Videos had more than 1 million subscribers and was one of the most popular chemistry-related channels on YouTube.

“Thanks to Martyn’s tireless dedication to the creation of these highly educative YouTube videos, teachers all over the world use them to introduce and create a passion amongst school children for the beauty of chemistry,” says Marcetta Darensbourg, Ph.D., a professor of chemistry at Texas A&M University.

In addition to his videos, Poliakoff has also delivered lectures to high school students and young people in many countries, including Brazil, Canada, China, France, Ireland, Malaysia, Portugal, Russia, South Africa and the U.S.

Poliakoff earned his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in chemistry at King’s College, Cambridge (U.K.). He has been a professor of chemistry at the University of Nottingham for nearly 40 years.

The Grady-Stack Award is named for James T. Grady and James H. Stack, two former managers of the ACS News Service. Established in 1955, the award recognizes outstanding presentations that promote the public’s understanding of chemistry, chemical engineering and related fields. Awardees receive $5,000, a gold medallion and a presentation box with a bronze replica. Poliakoff will receive his gold medallion next August at ACS’ 258th National Meeting & Exposition in San Diego.

The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.