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51st Annual Distinguished Faculty Award
Jerry L. Atwood
Curators' Professor & Chair of Chemistry - College of Arts & Science
Columbia, Missouri
In an unusual occurrence in the academic world, the New Journal of Chemistry dedicated its entire May 2008 issue to Atwood on the occasion was his 65th birthday, which he had celebrated in 2007. As usual, the journal included research-based articles and opinion pieces on various topics in chemistry. This time, though, the introduction and nine of the articles were written by Atwood’s former students — all of them now scientists of New Journal of Chemistry-contributor caliber.
An international leader in the field of supramolecular chemistry, Atwood was one of the first scientists to understand the significance of the emerging field. He has developed this area of research, co-writing a textbook, co-editing an encyclopedia, founding a journal and writing numerous articles on the field.
Atwood holds 12 patents and numerous notable research findings. In 1969, he first discovered liquid clathrates (lattices of one type of molecule that can trap a second kind of molecule), which led to the development of the field of “green” or “environmentally friendly” chemistry. In 1997, he uncovered a way to fabricate nanocapsules, which he’s currently trying to tweak for use as targeted drug-delivery mechanisms in the body. Heralded as a milestone in scientific circles, the discovery could revolutionize industries such as computer technology and pharmaceuticals. For instance, the findings may help engineers create the smallest machines imaginable, and it may lead to creation of drug-carrying systems that can target specific areas of the body.
In 2002, Atwood found a way to store hydrogen and methane by coaxing the gas particles to cling to porous solids — a process called adsorption. That work has the potential to make safe and efficient hydrogen-fueled cars a reality.
Astoundingly, Atwood’s prolific body of work has been cited more than 23,000 times with 57 papers having more than 100 citations each. He has published more than 650 articles in refereed journals, including five in Science, four in Nature, 33 in Angewandte Chemie, 47 in Journal of the American Chemical Society and 59 in Chemical Communications. Editor of numerous peer-reviewed journals, he founded the journal Supramolecular Chemistry in 1992 and the Journal of Inclusion Phenomena in 1983.
An elected foreign member of the Polish Academy of Science, Atwood was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2005. He received the Izatt-Christensen International Macrocycle Award and the UM System President’s Award for Research and Creativity in 2000. He received the Honorary Medal of the Institute of Physical Chemistry from the Polish Academy of Sciences in 2005, and he received the Midwest Chemist Award from the American Chemical Society in 2005. Other honors and awards he has received include the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science Award in 1992 and the von Humboldt Senior Scientist Award in Germany in 1989.
Recipient of a Faculty-Alumni Award from the Mizzou Alumni Association in 2002, Atwood lives in Columbia, Missouri. He has four children: David, Kimberly, Philip, a sophomore at MU and Stuart; a daughter-in-law, Vicki Ossink Atwood; a son-in-law, Mark W. Bockman; and four grandchildren, Alexander, Ashley, William and Daniel.
• Catalyst Society Member
• Mosaic Society Fellow
• Jefferson Club Distinguished Fellow