Briefs (11/30/06)

Former Pitt chemistry professor wins award for extensive research into molecules

Hallie… Former Pitt chemistry professor wins award for extensive research into molecules

Hallie Johnson

Staff Writer

Each year, the American Chemical Society presents 53 national awards to deserving scientists to continue encouraging chemical advancements in all of its areas.

Pitt’s R.K. Mellon Professor of Chemistry, John T. Yates, has received his fifth ACS award during his 25 years with Pitt, and will be presented this 2007 Peter Debye Award in Physical Chemistry during the Spring 2007 ACS meeting.

“I was surprised at receiving this award. It has only been given one other time to a scientist in the field of surface chemistry, so it is an award not only to myself, but to the field as well,” Yates said.

Yates has received awards from ACS since 1986, including the Pittsburgh Award (from the Pittsburgh section of the ACS), as well as the Morley Medal from the Cleveland section of the ACS.

His most recent award was the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship (JSPS) in 2002.

As the founding director of Pitt’s University Surface Science Center, Yates has dedicated his time at the University training more than 100 scientists in the field of surface chemistry while researching this chemical phenomenon.

Along with his research teams, which have reached as many as 25 individuals at Pitt, Yates and his team have discovered how surface measurement techniques will be used to further scientific studies. The three major areas, Yates mentions, are heterogeneous catalysis — from which he said almost everything is made from heterogeneous catalysis — production of semi-conductor chips and the prevention of corrosion.

During his reign at Pitt, more than 600 papers have been written in this area of chemistry, and Yates has been cited for the last 20 years as one of the 100 most cited scientists in the world, at one time being as high as 24, and ranked 84 during his time at Pitt.

“I am very interested in the behavior of molecules, and it is fascinating to me; but the most important things that are done are the people you produce.”