Promoting chemistry through cooking: American Chemical Society Prized Science video

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2013 — One of Shirley O. Corriher’s first lessons on how chemistry meets cooking came in the form of scrambled eggs stuck to a frying pan. That experience set the former biochemist on a journey to become an award-winning food writer. Corriher is the subject of the latest episode of a popular video series from the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society. The videos are available at www.acs.org/PrizedScience and from m_bernstein@acs.org.

Titled Prized Science: Shirley O. Corriher, the fourth episode of the 2013 series features Corriher, this year’s winner of the James T. Grady-James H. Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public. The award is sponsored by the ACS. The author of numerous articles and the popular books CookWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking and BakeWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking, Corriher has earned recognition as the “best cooking teacher of the year,” as an “ambassador of chemistry” and as a “food sleuth.” The Grady-Stack Award recognizes her success in bringing science into the home. In the video, Corriher explains that knowing a little bit of chemistry can fix cooking conundrums in ways that are sometimes counterintuitive.

Next in the 2013 series are episodes of Prized Science featuring Isiah Warner, Ph.D, winner of the ACS Award in Analytical Chemistry, and Esther Takeuchi, Ph.D., winner of the E. V. Murphee Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry.

Other episodes feature Tim Swager, Ph.D., winner of the 2013 ACS Award for Creative Invention; Peter J. Stang, Ph.D., winner of the 2013 ACS Priestley Medal; and Greg Robinson, Ph.D., winner of the 2013 F. Albert Cotton Award.

ACS encourages educators, schools, museums, science centers, news organizations and others to embed links to Prized Science on their websites. The videos discuss scientific research in non-technical language for general audiences. New episodes in the series, which focuses on ACS’ 2013 national award recipients, will be issued periodically.

The 2013 edition of Prized Science features renowned scientists telling the story of their own research and its impact and potential impact on everyday life. Colorful graphics and images visually explain the award recipient’s research.

The ACS administers more than 60 national awards to honor accomplishments in chemistry and service to chemistry. The nomination process involves submission of forms, with winners selected by a committee consisting of ACS members who typically are technical experts in the nominee’s specific field of research.

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

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