William F. Carroll Jr., Ph.D., receives Charles Lathrop Parsons Award

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2022 — The American Chemical Society (ACS) has named William F. Carroll Jr., Ph.D., as the 2023 recipient of the Charles Lathrop Parsons Award, which honors outstanding public service by a member of ACS. Carroll is being recognized “for his career-long public service in the use of science in state, national and international environmental policy development and implementation."

A former ACS president, Carroll has a long record with ACS, serving for 12 years on the board of directors, three as chair and served on and chaired numerous ACS committees. Although many of his colleagues believe that his most important ACS work has been as a career consultant, using his knowledge of industry to help prepare the next generation of chemists to make contributions to society’s well-being and to help the current generation prepare for retirement.

Carroll worked in industry for 37 years on synthetic polymer-related research and policy. He was an important contributor to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. And in retirement, he continues to contribute to worldwide chemical policy, serving on a United Nations Industrial Development Organization project. Its goal is to eliminate mercury catalysis during vinyl chloride production in China — the only place on Earth that uses this method for manufacturing vinyl chloride.

In 2017, Bill and his wife, Mary, endowed the Carroll Family Fellowship in the chemistry department of Indiana University. This fellowship funds a stipend for a graduate student, reducing the financial burden on the department.

Carroll serves as principal of Carroll Applied Science LLC and adjunct professor of chemistry at Indiana University, Bloomington. He holds a B.A. in chemistry and physics from DePauw University, an M.S. in organic chemistry from Tulane University and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Indiana University, Bloomington.

Carroll will be presented the award on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at the ACS Awards Banquet and Ceremony during the ACS Spring 2023 meeting in Indianapolis.

To nominate a colleague for this or any other national award, please review the nomination requirements and timeline section of the ACS awards page.