Elsa Reichmanis Wins Perkin Medal

Awards and Prizes

Elsa Reichmanis Wins Perkin Medal

Dr. Elsa Reichmanis (Director, Polymer and Organic Materials Research Department, Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies), Titular Member of the IUPAC Macromolecular Division (IV) Committee, has won the prestigious 2001 Perkin Medal, one of the highest honors the U.S. chemical industry can bestow. The American Section of the London-based Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) awards the Perkin Medal annually to a scientist or engineer for outstanding contributions to applied chemistry. The awardee is chosen by a representative panel from the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemists, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Electrochemical Society, and the American Section of Société de Chimie Industrielle. The Perkin Medal commemorates Sir William H. Perkin’s (1838-1907) discovery in 1856 of the first synthetic dye (mauve). Perkin was also the founder of SCI.

Dr. Reichmanis received the award for her development of new photoresists for microlithography, the process of producing very small patterns on silicon substrates for use in integrated circuits. At the 221st ACS National Meeting in San Diego last April, Dr. Reichmanis was selected as one of two candidates to stand for election as 2002 ACS President-Elect this fall.