Celebrating our officers' recent achievement

While we are celebrating our recent division awardees, Dr. Michele Sarazen, Princeton University, recipient of the 2025 Early Career Award in Catalysis., and Dr. Simon Bare, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, recipient of the 2025 award for Exceptional Achievements in Catalysis., we are proud to announce that four of our distinguished officers—both current and former—have been recently recognized with prestigious national awards for their outstanding contributions to science and engineering.

Two of our officers (Steven Crossley, Rajamani Gounder) have been honored with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers.

Professor Steven Crossley from the University of Oklahoma is currently serving as a division Alternate Councilor and previously as a Member-at-large and a Program Chair.

Professor Rajamani Gounder from Purdue university is currently serving in the division as a Member-at-large.

Two officers (Phillip Christopher, David Flaherty) have received the 2025–2026 Paul H. Emmett Award in Fundamental Catalysis by the North American Catalysis Society (NACS). This award recognizes and encourages individual contributions in the field of catalysis with emphasis on discovery and understanding of catalytic phenomena, proposal of catalytic reaction mechanisms and identification of and description of catalytic sites and species, recognizing their significant advancements and impact in the field.  

Professor Phillip Christopher from the University of California, Santa Barbara previously served as the division Secretary and a Program Chair.

Professor David Flaherty from Georgia Institute of Technology served as an Alternate Councilor and the division Secretary and is currently serving as a Councilor.

These accolades reflect the remarkable talent and commitment of our team members, reinforcing our organization's legacy of excellence. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the awardees for their well-earned recognition!

CATL 2025 Award Announcements

The Catalysis Science and Technology Division (CATL) of the American Chemical Society (ACS) proudly announces the winners of the 2025 Division Awards. These awards recognize individuals who have made exceptionally impactful contributions to the design, synthesis and/or chemical or mechanistic characterization of catalysts, which significantly advance the science and practice of catalysis.

Congratulations to Dr. Michele Sarazen, Princeton University, recipient of the 2025 Early Career Award in Catalysis. This award recognizes and encourages accomplishments and innovation of unusual merit by an individual in early stages of their career, emphasizing independence and creativity.

Congratulations to Dr. Simon Bare, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, recipient of the 2025 award for Exceptional Achievements in Catalysis.  This award acknowledges excellence and scientific leadership in catalysis science and technology by an individual, emphasizing the impact of a researcher's body of work in the broad field of catalytic chemistry and catalytic materials or molecules.

Drs. Sarazen’s and Bare’s accomplishments will be celebrated during awards symposia to be held as part of the Fall 2025 American Chemical Society National Meeting, August 17 - 21. Washington, DC.

Call for Nominations - ACS Catalysis Lectureship

The annual ACS Catalysis Lectureship for the Advancement of Catalytic Science honors an individual or a collaborative team for recent and significant contributions to the field. The award has a different focus each year:

• 2021: Biocatalysis or enzymology

• 2022: Heterogeneous catalysis

• 2023: Homogeneous or molecular catalysis

To make a nomination (nomination details), please complete the form by January 22, 2023, including uploading a SINGLE PDF FILE containing the following items in this order:

• Nomination Remarks: A 500-word, or shorter, description articulating the impact of the nominee’s research accomplishment being recognized in this nomination.

• Suggested Citation: A 100-word, or shorter, summary of the nominee's accomplishment being recognized with this award. If the nominee is selected, this citation will be considered for inclusion in the winner's announcement.

PLEASE NOTE: We are not accepting CVs or supporting letters as part of this nomination process.The 2023 Winner will Receive:

• An award plaque

• An honorarium of US$3,000

• Registration for ACS Fall 2023 in San Francisco

• Travel and accommodations funding of up to US$1,500 to attend and present at a symposium in their honor at ACS Fall 2023

Eligibility:

• Self nominations are welcome.

• Nominees' work must be in the area of homogeneous or molecular catalysis. For the 2023 award we will not consider nominations working in other areas.

• Nominees must have published at least one paper in ACS Catalysis, although that paper does not need to serve as the basis for the award.

• Team nominations must be limited to three principal team members.

• The following individuals are ineligible to be considered:

  • Current ACS Publications Editors-in-Chief and Deputy Editors

  • Current ACS Catalysis Executive Editors, Associate Editors, and Topic Editors

  • Any serving selection committee member for this award

Additional Information:

• The lectureship recognizes a recent, specific, distinctive, creative, and impactful contribution to catalysis science. Emphasis is placed on specific contributions that have not been recognized with other awards.

• Nomination documentation should describe and provide evidence for the impact of the contribution, which will have been in the past 5-7 years exclusive of time committed to an official leave of absence.

• In the event of multiple submissions of similar quality, nominees who have not yet been recognized for the work associated with the nomination will receive priority.

• Nominations from previous years do not carry over, but may be updated and resubmitted.

• The award selection committee will consist of ACS Catalysis editors as well as representatives from the ACS Division of Catalysis Science and Technology.

• If you have questions, please send them to Award.ACSCatalysis@acs.org.

• Before making a nomination, you must get the nominee's consent to share information about them as part of the nomination process. This is necessary for the American Chemical Society, ACS Publications, and the ACS Division of Catalysis Science and Technology to comply with laws and rules around the processing of personal data.