Nicholas Turro
Encyclopedia
Nicholas J. Turro is an American chemist
, Wm. P. Schweitzer Professor of Chemistry at Columbia University
. He is the recipient of the 2011 Arthur C. Cope Award
in Organic Chemistry
, given annually "to recognize outstanding achievement in the field of organic chemistry, the significance of which has become apparent within the five years preceding the year in which the award will be considered." He is also the recipient of the 2000 Willard Gibbs Award
, which recognizes "eminent chemists who...have brought to the world developments that enable everyone to live more comfortably and to understand this world better."
He received his B.A. degree summa cum laude from Wesleyan University
in 1960. He attended graduate school at Caltech where he received his Ph.D. degree with George S. Hammond
in 1963. Following a postdoctoral year at Harvard with P. D. Bartlett, he joined the faculty at Columbia University where today he is the Wm. P. Schweitzer Professor of Chemistry.
He authored the influential books Molecular Photochemistry published in 1965, considered the "bible" of the field for several generations by organic photochemists, and Modern Molecular Photochemistry published in 1978. The latter was comprehensively revised as Principles of Molecular Photochemistry: An Introduction in 2008 and later as Modern Molecular Photochemistry of Organic Molecules in 2010 both of which were co-authored with V. Ramamurthy at University of Miami
and J.C. Scaiano at the University of Ottawa
. Turro has been selected as one of the most highly cited chemists for the past two decades, and has published over 900 research papers. He is a member of both the National Academy of Sciences
and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
.
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
, Wm. P. Schweitzer Professor of Chemistry at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. He is the recipient of the 2011 Arthur C. Cope Award
Arthur C. Cope Award
The Arthur C. Cope Award is a prize awarded for achievement in the field of organic chemistry research. It is generally considered one of the highest honors in the field. It is sponsored by the Arthur C. Cope Fund, and has been awarded since 1973 by the American Chemical Society.Recipients...
in Organic Chemistry
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
, given annually "to recognize outstanding achievement in the field of organic chemistry, the significance of which has become apparent within the five years preceding the year in which the award will be considered." He is also the recipient of the 2000 Willard Gibbs Award
Willard Gibbs Award
The Willard Gibbs Award, which consists of an eighteen-carat gold medal, the Willard Gibbs Medal, was founded in 1910 by William A. Converse. The medal was named after J. Willard Gibbs. The award recognizes "eminent chemists who .....
, which recognizes "eminent chemists who...have brought to the world developments that enable everyone to live more comfortably and to understand this world better."
He received his B.A. degree summa cum laude from Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in 1960. He attended graduate school at Caltech where he received his Ph.D. degree with George S. Hammond
George S. Hammond
George S. Hammond was a chemist at Iowa State University and the California Institute of Technology. Among his awards were the Norris Award in 1968 and the Priestley Medal in 1976 and the National Medal of Science in 1994...
in 1963. Following a postdoctoral year at Harvard with P. D. Bartlett, he joined the faculty at Columbia University where today he is the Wm. P. Schweitzer Professor of Chemistry.
He authored the influential books Molecular Photochemistry published in 1965, considered the "bible" of the field for several generations by organic photochemists, and Modern Molecular Photochemistry published in 1978. The latter was comprehensively revised as Principles of Molecular Photochemistry: An Introduction in 2008 and later as Modern Molecular Photochemistry of Organic Molecules in 2010 both of which were co-authored with V. Ramamurthy at University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
and J.C. Scaiano at the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
. Turro has been selected as one of the most highly cited chemists for the past two decades, and has published over 900 research papers. He is a member of both the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
.