Othmer Gold Medal
Marye Anne Fox.
2012 Medalist: Marye Anne Fox
Marye Anne Fox, an internationally known chemist and academic leader, received the 2012 Othmer Gold Medal at Heritage Day, April 12, 2012.
Fox was named the seventh chancellor of the University of California, San Diego, in April 2004. She also holds the title of distinguished professor of chemistry and has received honorary degrees from 12 institutions in the United States and abroad. In October 2010 President Barack Obama awarded Fox the National Medal of Science, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on scientists, engineers, and inventors.
Previously Fox was chancellor and distinguished professor of chemistry at North Carolina State University, a post she had held since 1998. Before going to North Carolina, Fox spent 22 years at the University of Texas, where she held the Waggoner Regents Chair in Chemistry.
Fox is one of the nation’s most creative physical organic chemists, having published extensively in the fields of organic photochemistry and electrochemistry. Her work has clear application in materials science, solar-energy conversion, and environmental chemistry. She has been elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society and to fellowships in both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. From the American Chemical Society she has received the Garvan Award, the Southwest Regional Award, and the Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award. She has been a Sloan Research Fellow and a Dreyfus Teacher Scholar, and was named by the New York Academy of Sciences in 1999 as an Outstanding Woman in Science.
In 1996, she won Sigma Xi’s Monie A. Ferst Award in recognition of outstanding mentoring of graduate students. So far, 27 doctoral and 15 masters’ degrees have been awarded under her guidance. At the national level she is a frequent lecturer on science education policy and reform.
Fox currently serves on many boards, including those of the Council on Competitiveness, the Association of American Universities, the World Universities Network, and the Robert A. Welch Foundation Scientific Advisory Board. She has served on 14 editorial boards, including a stint as associate editor of the Journal of the American Chemical Society. She is the recipient of the Charles Lathrop Parson Award for 2005 from the American Chemical Society in recognition of outstanding public service.
Fox received a B.S. from Notre Dame College and a Ph.D. from Dartmouth College, both in chemistry.
About the Othmer Gold Medal
The Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) established the Othmer Gold Medal in 1997 to honor outstanding individuals who have made multifaceted contributions to our chemical and scientific heritage through outstanding activity in such areas as innovation, entrepreneurship, research, education, public understanding, legislation, or philanthropy.
The medal is presented annually and cosponsored by CHF and four affiliated organizations: the American Chemical Society (ACS), the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), The Chemists’ Club, and the Société de Chimie Industrielle (American Section). The medal commemorates Donald Othmer (1904–1995), noted researcher, consultant, editor, engineer, inventor, philanthropist, professor, and coeditor of the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology.
CHF gratefully acknowledges John Wiley & Sons, Inc., for donating a set of the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology each year to the institution chosen by the Othmer Gold Medal recipient.
About the Sponsors
The American Chemical Society (ACS) is the world’s largest scientific organization. The society was established in 1876 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1937 to encourage in the broadest and most liberal manner the advancement of chemistry in all its branches
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) is a professional, technical, and educational association. The institute was founded in 1908 and is dedicated to promoting excellence in the development and practice of chemical engineering in an ever-expanding array of disciplines
The Chemists’ Club, established in 1898, is one of the oldest and most respected chemical organizations in the country. Members are engaged in management, marketing, processing, and research and development.
The Société de Chimie Industrielle was founded in 1918 as the American Section of a Paris-based international organization. Today it operates as an independent New York–based society with a mission to work with other chemical-industry organizations and promote understanding of the chemical and allied industries. Activities include a monthly CEO forum, a scholarship program, and the International Palladium Medal awarded to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the industry.
The Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) fosters an understanding of chemistry’s impact on society. An independent nonprofit organization, we strive to
- Inspire a passion for chemistry;
- Highlight chemistry’s role in meeting current social challenges; and
- Preserve the story of chemistry and its technologies and industries across centuries.
CHF maintains major collections of instruments, fine art, photographs, papers, and books. We host conferences and lectures, support research, offer fellowships, and produce educational materials. Our museum and public programs explore subjects ranging from alchemy to nanotechnology.