Royal Society of Chemistry recognizes Pitt’s Anna Balazs with the S. F. Boys-A. Rahman Award for innovative research in computational chemistry
PITTSBURGH (May 6, 2015) … Noted researcher
Anna C. Balazs, PhD
, Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and the Robert v. d. Luft Professor at the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering, was named the 2015 recipient of the S. F. Boys-A. Rahman Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry's (RSC) Faraday Division.
The award recognizes Dr. Balazs for the development of new theoretical and computational approaches to enable the understanding of polymeric materials, and includes a £2000 prize, medal, and up to four invited lectures at UK universities between September 2015 and May 2016.
Selection criteria include originality of research, impact of research, quality of publications, professional standing, and collaborations. The award is named after Samuel Francis Boys (1911-1972), a British theoretical chemist; and Aneesur Rahman (1927-1987), an Indian computational physicist and pioneer in computer simulations.
"Anna's research in computational design of chemo- responsive gels and nanocomposites is truly groundbreaking and is well-deserving of this award," said Steven R. Little, PhD , associate professor, CNG Faculty Fellow and Chair of the Swanson School's Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. "Her expertise in this field is internationally recognized and respected, and the Department and I congratulate her on this latest accomplishment."
About Dr. Balazs
Anna Balazs joined the University of Pittsburgh in 1987. Prior to Pitt, she held a postdoctoral position in the Department of Polymer Science and Engineering at the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Balazs' research involves theoretical and computational modeling of the thermodynamic and kinetic behavior of polymer blends and composites. She is also investigating the properties of polymers at surfaces and interfaces.
Her awards and recognitions include the ACS Langmuir Lecture Award (2014); Greater Pittsburgh Women Chemists Committee Award for Excellence in the Chemical Sciences (2014); Fellow, Materials Research Society (2014); South Dakota School of Mines' Mines Medal (2013); Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2010); Donaldson Lecturer, University of Minnesota (2007); Honoree, "Women in the Material World," Women and Girls Foundation of Southwest Pennsylvania (2006); Maurice Huggins Award of the Gordon Research Conference for outstanding contributions to Polymer Science (2003); Visiting Fellow, Corpus Christi College, Oxford University (2000 - 2001; 2007- 2008); Special Creativity Award, National Science Foundation, (1999-2001); Fellow, American Physical Society (1993); and Invited Participant, National Academy of Sciences' 6th Annual Frontiers of Science Symposium (November 3-5, 1994).
About the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
The Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering serves undergraduate and graduate engineering students, the University and our industry, through education, research, and participation in professional organizations and regional/national initiatives. Our commitment to the future of the chemical process industry drives the development of educational and research programs. The Department has a tradition of excellence in education and research, evidenced by recent national awards including numerous NSF CAREER Awards, a Beckman Young Investigator Award, an NIH Director's New Innovator Award, and the DOE Hydrogen Program R&D Award, among others. Active areas of research in the Department include Biological and Biomedical Systems; Energy and Sustainability; and Materials Modeling and Design. The faculty has a record of success in obtaining research funding such that the Department ranks within the top 25 U.S. ChE departments for Federal R&D spending in recent years with annual research expenditures exceeding $7 million. The vibrant research culture within the Department includes active collaboration with the adjacent University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the Center for Simulation and Modeling, the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, the Petersen Institute of NanoScience and Engineering and the U.S. DOE-affiliated Institute for Advanced Energy Solutions.
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Contact: Paul Kovach