The recipient of the 2017 Vollum Award for Distinguished Accomplishment in Science and Technology is University of Oregon chemist, Prof. Geraldine (Geri) Richmond. Prof. Richmond is one of those very special scientists who can work on a broad scale, achieving international recognition as an advocate for women in science (she is the founder and director of COACh, a grassroots organization that has been assisting in the advancement of thousands of women scientists around the globe since 1997) and as a global leader in surface science, in particular, environmentally and technologically important processes that occur at water, semiconductor, and mineral surfaces. (UPDATE: The American Chemical Society has just announced that it is awarding its top honor, the 2018 Priestley Medal, to Prof. Richmond for “her pioneering contributions to our understanding of the molecular properties of liquid surfaces and her extraordinary service to chemistry on a global level.” C&EN, 7 Jun 2017)
Prof. Richmond will be delivering a special lecture, “Empowering Global Scientific Engagement,” on Tuesday, August 22 at 4:30-6:00 pm, Psychology 105.
Previous Vollum Awardees from the chemical sciences have included:
- 2010 – Brian Druker, Director, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute – developer of the anti-cancer drug, Gleevec
- 2008 – Kenneth Koe ’45, Pfizer – developer of Zoloft
- 2002 – Kenneth Raymond ’64, U. California – Berkeley – pioneering studies in biochemistry of transition metals
- 1996 – Edwin G. Krebs, U. Washington – Nobel laureate for pioneering studies in phosphorylation, a key method by which cells regulate chemical processes
- 1986 – David Powell Shoemaker, Oregon State U. – crystallographer
- 1985 – Howard S. Mason, OHSU – biochemist and promoter of international scientific exchanges
- 1979 – Linus Pauling, Stanford and Caltech – physical chemist and peace activist, Nobel laureate for activities on behalf of an international nuclear test ban treaty (1962), and for studies of the nature of the chemical bond (1954)
- 1977 – Arthur F. Scott – physical chemist and pioneering educator, president of Reed College [1942-5], and Reed professor [1923-6, 1937-79]