UTD’s Alan G. MacDiarmid Elected
Fellow of the Royal Society of London
Nobel Laureate to Join
World’s Oldest Scientific Academy
RICHARDSON,
Texas (May 20, 2003): Nobel Laureate Dr. Alan G. MacDiarmid, who
holds an endowed chair at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), has
been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London for Improving
Natural Knowledge, the world’s oldest scientific academy in continuous
existence.
Founded in 1660, the Royal Society boasts a fellowship of the most
eminent scientists of the day, elected by peer review for life. Its
roster of past and current members includes such luminaries as Isaac
Newton, Charles Darwin, Ernest Rutherford, Albert Einstein, Dorothy
Hodgkin, Francis Crick, James Watson and Stephen Hawking.
There are currently more than 65 Nobel Laureates among the
organization’s approximately 1,300 Fellows and Foreign Members, drawn
from all scientific disciplines.
The Royal Society’s aim is to promote excellence in science by
supporting research, recognizing achievement and encouraging a greater
awareness and understanding of science. While based in London, it is one
of the most influential science organizations in the world.
MacDiarmid will be admitted into the Royal Society at a ceremony on July
11 in London.
MacDiarmid, who joined the UTD faculty in the fall of 2002, holds the
James Von Ehr Distinguished Chair in Science and Technology. He also
holds professorial appointments in the university’s Department of
Chemistry and Department of Physics and leads a Center for Scientific
and Technical Innovations, where he studies a range of topics including
biological systems and nanoscience.
MacDiarmid first affiliated with UTD in August 2001 as a distinguished
scholar in residence, senior adviser on science and technology to UTD
President Dr. Franklyn Jenifer and chairman of the advisory board of the
UTD NanoTech Institute.
MacDiarmid shared the 2000 Nobel Prize in chemistry with Alan Heeger and
Hideki Shirakawa for their discoveries that plastics can be made
electrically conductive, thus creating the field of conducting polymers,
also known as ‘synthetic metals.’ Some of the practical
applications of his research include rechargeable batteries, gas sensors
and light-emitting devices. In recent years, MacDiarmid has pioneered
research in the field of nanoelectronics.
Born in New Zealand, MacDiarmid received an M.Sc. degree from the
University of New Zealand and Ph.D. degrees from the University of
Wisconsin, where he was a Fulbright Scholar, and Cambridge University.
He rose through the faculty ranks of the University of Pennsylvania to
become the Blanchard Professor of Chemistry.
MacDiarmid is the author or co-author of some 600 research papers and
holds 20 patents. He has received numerous awards, medals and honorary
degrees for his scientific achievements, most recently election to the
National Academy of Sciences and to the National Academy of Engineering.
About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of
Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major
multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor,
enrolls more than 13,000 students. The school’s freshman class
traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in
terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of
bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional
information about UTD, please visit its web site at
www.utdallas.edu.