Daniel Mindiola has been appointed the fourth Presidential Term Professor at Penn, effective August 1. Mindiola received this appointment in recognition of his exceptional work in the field of organic chemistry, making him the first to receive this appointment in chemistry.
The professorship is partly supported by a $2 million grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts and is awarded to diverse, prominent scholars, according to the press release.
“Dan Mindiola is a distinguished scholar, a highly respected leader in the field of inorganic chemistry, and a dynamic and effective teacher,” President Amy Gutmann said in a statement released on Tuesday. “He is one of the true stars in organometallic chemistry, and we are delighted to welcome him to Penn.”
Currently a chemistry professor at Indiana University Bloomington, Mindiola’s research is centered around investigating the function of metals in new transformations and catalytic processes. He applies this to finding new solutions to global warming, by focusing on the conversion of potential waste into energy in an effort to reduce costs and byproducts. His latest work revolves around the conversion of natural gas into liquid fuel.
Before Indiana University-Bloomington, Mindiola was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Chicago from 2000 to 2002. He earned a doctorate in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2000 and his bachelor of science in chemistry with honors from Michigan State University in 1996.
He has been honored for his work by the National Science Foundation, the American Chemical Society and the National Institute of Health.
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