IUPAC "Distinguished Women" Awards
Ahead of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, IUPAC have announced the awardees of the IUPAC 2019 Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering.
They include our president, Professor Dame Carol Robinson, who leads a research group at the University of Oxford, and Professor Chris Willis, from Bristol University, who is a supervisor in the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Chemical Synthesis.
Our deputy CEO, Dr Helen Pain, welcomed the news of the IUPAC award, saying: "This is fantastic news for our community, as both Carol and Chris are excellent role models for aspiring chemists. We know from our recent Breaking the Barriers report that the number of women becoming chemistry professors in the UK is just 9% of the total number, so we’re taking action to ensure their inspirational examples can be followed by many more talented scientists.
"I am looking forward to seeing both Carol and Chris at an IUPAC event we’re hosting at the Royal Society of Chemistry’s London headquarters next week, combining a celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science with our year-long commemoration of the International Year of the Periodic Table."
Inspirational award winners
This news reunites two of our most inspirational and committed members, as in the summer of 2018, Carol presented Chris with another award, a Royal Society of Chemistry Award for Service, recognising her outstanding service on numerous Royal Society of Chemistry committees over more than 25 years.
Awardees of the IUPAC 2019 distinguished women in chemistry or chemical engineering
The full list of awardees includes a number of other members and fellows of the Royal Society of Chemistry, so we congratulate all of these inspirational women on their well-deserved recognition.
- Professor Kim Baldridge
- Professor Donna Blackmond
- Professor Susan Bourne FRSC
- Professor Janine Cossy
- Professor Vicki Grassian FRSC
- Professor Otilia Mó Romero
- Professor Elizabeth Nalley
- Professor Carol Robinson HonFRSC
- Professor Molly Shoichet MRSC
- Professor Luisa Torsi
- Professor Chris Willis FRSC
- Professor Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede
The awardees were recognised "based on excellence in basic or applied research, distinguished accomplishments in teaching or education, or demonstrated leadership or managerial excellence in the chemical sciences".