DuPont has awarded two scientists with the 2015 Lavoiser Medal of Technical Achievement: Ronald McKinney and Stephen Smith. The Lavoisier Medal for Technical Achievement honors scientists and engineers who have demonstrated a career of creative technical contributions.
The medal is named in honor of the 18th century French chemist, Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, who served as mentor to DuPont company founder, Eleuthère Irénée du Pont.
“Lavoisier Medalists stand out as examples of people who do great science and engineering, have a strong customer focus and a true passion are for making a difference in the world,” said Senior Vice President and Chief Science & Technology Officer Douglas Muzyka. “It is an honor to recognize Ron and Stephen with the 2015 Lavoisier Medals.”
Lavoisier Medalists are honored with a bronze likeness that is housed at the DuPont Experimental Station in Wilmington.DuPont employs more than 9,000 scientists and engineers worldwide at 150 research locations, and only 90 Lavoisier Medalists have been selected during the more than two centuries of company history. The 2015 Medalists were honored for their lifetime of contributions:
- Ronald McKinney (Wilmington) is an innovator in a diverse array of areas and his seminal work in homogeneous catalysis, specifically in organometallic chemistry has had far-reaching influence and has made a tremendous impact on the industry.
- Stephen Smith (Des Moines, Iowa) is a pioneer in the use of molecular markers for improved germplasm security analysis. He is credited with the invention of the field, setting the standard for the entire seed industry.
The Lavoisier Medalists were recognized during the 2016 DuPont Excellence Awards ceremony on May 9. The ceremony was followed by the company’s annual technical conference, TechCon 2016, which is the premier forum at DuPont to bring together scientists, engineers, and business colleagues to showcase the progress of our technical programs and create a collaborative environment to facilitate the advancement of solutions that are in development.
