Awards

Introduction to NJ ACS Awards

NJ ACS administers eight annual or biennial awards to recognize the contributions from its members and to promote the advancement of chemistry.

Recognize someone now by nominating them for an award! There are links below for nomination forms for many of the awards. For more information on these awards and to submit a nomination, please contact Diane Krone, Awards Committee Chair, at kroned@comcast.net.

The Section also helps support the nomination of Section members for National and other ACS awards and recognition – contact the Awards Chair for assistance.

The Section would also like to recognize Section members who receive National and Regional ACS Awards – if you know of any North Jersey awardees in current or past years, please inform the Awards Committee Chair so that their achievements can be noted by the Section.

Awards & Past Awardees

Click on the links in this section to see past awardees and access nomination forms.

• The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a North Jersey chemist or chemical engineer over fifty years of age for conspicuous achievements in chemistry, not heretofore recognized by any major scientific award.
• The Leo Hendrik Baekeland Award is given to a US-based chemist under forty years of age, for outstanding accomplishments in pure or applied chemistry. It has a long and distinguished history and is one of the few influential national awards administered by a local ACS section.
• The Award for Creativity in Molecular Design and Synthesis is presented to an individual who has demonstrated broad scoping impact in the areas of chemical synthesis, method development, bio-organic/medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, and/or molecular recognition.
• The Sr. Marian José Smith Excellence in Education Award is given to a professor in North Jersey for inspiring students and launching them on successful careers in chemistry.
• The Burton C Belden Distinguished Service Award recognizes a member of the North Jersey Section for conspicuous service to the Section.
• The Pro-Bono Award is presented to a member of the Section who does not hold an elective office of the Section, and who participated for at least five years in the management of affairs of the Section with dedication and noticeable success.
• The Freddie and Ada Brown Award recognizes and encourages high achieving middle-school and high-school students of African American and Native American heritage to further develop their academic skills, with views on careers in the chemical sciences.
• The Salutes to Excellence Award which recognizes outstanding accomplishments, achievements or service for individuals who have made a positive impact on everyday life.
• National and Regional ACS Awards received by NJACS members.

2012 Award for Creativity in Molecular Design and Synthesis: Prof. K.C. Nicolaou

Other Awards

• NJACS-MSDG sponsors five Mass Spectrometry (Topical Group Awards) awards for the promotion of mass spectrometry in the greater New Jersey region. (including New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware). Visit the Mass Spectrometry page for details.
  • New Jersey Regional Award for Achievements in Mass Spectrometry
  • New Jersey Early Career Award in Mass Spectrometry
  • New Jersey Distinguished Service Award in Mass Spectrometry
  • NJACS-MSDG Student Travel Award
  • NJACS-MSDG Distinguished Lectureship
• The Education Committee of the Section oversees and administers five education awards. Visit the Education Page for details.
  • The Edward J. Merrill Award
  • The E. Emmet Reid Award
  • The Cecil L. Brown Lectureship Award
  • The MARM Award For High School Chemistry Teaching
  • The James Bryant Conant Award
• National and Regional Awards received by North Jersey Section members [ details ]

The Lifetime Achievement Award

This award is given to a North Jersey chemist or chemical engineer over fifty years of age for conspicuous achievements in chemistry, not heretofore recognized by any major scientific award. Awardees are nominated biennially (odd years) by public advertising and receive a $1,000 prize and a recognition plaque. This award was established in 1993.

Nominations for the  Lifetime Achievement Award open November 1 of even years with a submission deadline of February 28 of odd years. Submissions to Diane Krone, Awards Committee Chair, at kroned@comcast.net. Nomination form and guidelines are here:  [ docx, pdf ].

Current & Past Recipients of the NJACS Lifetime Achievement Award

Photos from the NJ-ACS Awards Banquet on May 17, 2009

Leo Hendrik Baekeland Award

The North Jersey Section of the American Chemical Society is soliciting nominations for the 2023 Leo Hendrik Baekeland Award. The Award consists of a gold medal and a $5,000 honorarium. The Section presents the Award biennially to commemorate the technical and industrial achievements of Leo Hendrik Baekeland and to encourage younger chemists to emulate his example.

The Award is given in recognition of accomplishments in pure or applied chemistry to an US-based chemist as characterized by the initiative, creativeness, leadership, and perseverance of the individual (indicated by published or unpublished evidence) and who will be under the age of 40 as of January 1, 2023.

Nominations for the Award should include a letter describing the nominee’s achievements, a brief biography, and a list of the nominee’s more important publications. Successful nomination packets include two to three recommendation letters supporting the candidate.

Re-nominations are encouraged, provided the age requirement is still met.

Nomination Packets for the 2023 Baekeland Award will be accepted until January 15, 2023.  Please send the completed packet to Diane Krone, ACS North Jersey Section Awards Chair at dkrone@njacs.org.

The Leo Hendrik Baekeland Award was established in September 1944 by the North Jersey Section of the American Chemical Society and has been sponsored by the Union Carbide Corporation, a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company. It consists of a gold plated medal and $5,000. It is conferred biennially upon a US-based chemist under 40 years of age in recognition of accomplishments in pure or industrial chemistry, as characterized by the initiative, creativeness, leadership, and perseverance of the individual and indicated by published or unpublished evidence. The award was established to commemorate the technical and industrial achievements of Baekeland and to encourage younger chemists to emulate his example. The Award is now presented as part of a symposium with other speakers. The result is an excellent symposium that allows industrial scientists, academics and students to come together and enjoy both cutting edge science and an opportunity to interact with leading scientists.

Current & Past Recipients of the Leo Hendrik Baekeland Award

The Award for Creativity in Molecular Design and Synthesis

The Award for Creativity in Molecular Design and Synthesis is given in recognition of accomplishment in pure or applied chemistry, as characterized by the initiative, creativeness, leadership, and perseverance of the individual and indicated by published or unpublished evidence. “Accomplishment” for the purpose of this Award is understood to be that of a world renown leader of unusual merit, with an emphasis on an individual who has demonstrated broad scoping impact in the areas of chemical synthesis, method development, bio-organic/medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, and/or molecular recognition.

This award is the sister award to the Section’s Baekeland Award.  This award is presented in even years, snd it managed by the Organic Topical Group.

The Sr. Marian José Smith Award for Excellence in Education

This award is given to a professor from a degree granting Institution in the North Jersey Section for inspiring students and launching them on successful careers in chemistry as manifested by their accomplishments. Awardees are nominated biennially (even years) by their former students and receive a $1,000 prize and a recognition plaque. This award was established in 1993 and is funded by Hoffmann LaRoche Company.  [ details… (pdf) ]  Nominations and nomination form [ docx, pdf ] due by February 28 of even years.

Current & Past Recipients of the Marian José Smith Award

Burton C. Belden Distinguished Service Award

This award is given to a member of the North Jersey Section of the American Chemical Society for conspicuous service to Section. Awardees are nominated biennially (even years) by the Section and receive a $200 prize and a recognition plaque. This award was established in 1978 and is funded by the North Jersey Section.  Nominations are due by February 28 of even years using this form: [ docx, pdf ].

Current & Past Recipients

Pro Bono Award

This award recognizes any members of the Section who do not hold an elective office of the Section, but who may be elected by members of Topical Groups, etc., and who participated for at least five years in the management of affairs of the Section with dedication and noticeable success. The award consists of a recognition plaque that is presented at the annual Section Awards Banquet.  Nominations are due by February 28 of even years using this form: [ docx, pdf ].

Current & Past Recipients of the NJ-ACS Pro Bono Award

Salutes to Excellence Award

The Section participates in the National ACS Salutes to Excellence Award program

This recognition award gives ACS members an opportunity to underscore outstanding accomplishments, achievements or service for individuals who have made a positive impact on everyday life. Nationally, since the program began in 2000, more than 500 honorees have received Salutes to Excellence awards. This Award can also be used to recognize a place or organization supporting the work of ACS (in our case the work of the North Jersey Section).

Each ACS Section can submit nominations for this award (we use the information supplied via our standard nomination form [ docx, pdf ] with an annual deadline of February 28.  For nominating a place or organization a CV is not required).

Current & Past Recipients of the NJ-ACS Salutes to Excellence Award

National and Regional ACS Awards Recipients

ACS awards various National and Regional Awards and the many dedicated chemists in the North Jersey section regularly receive recognition in the form of these awards. The North Jersey Section would like to further acknowledge and recognize these outstanding chemists and Section members.

If you received an ACS Award given by a group other than the North Jersey Section (or know of an awardee) please inform the North Jersey Awards Committee Chair so that the Section can also recognize this achievement.

Current & Past Recipients of National and Regional ACS Awards

2007 Margaret Wu – ACS Industrial Chemistry Award