The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (LAS) Alumni Achievement Award is given to the alumnus or alumna who, by outstanding achievement, has demonstrated the values derived from a liberal arts and sciences education. Nominees must qualify under one of the following categories: outstanding professional achievement; creative achievement; worthy cumulative performance through the years; or recent acknowledgement by community or professional peers.

Below is a list of Chemistry at Illinois alumni who have received this award.

2020
Hye Kyung Timken, PhD, ’87 (Oldfield, E.)
Fellow, Team Leader, Chevron Corporation
Watch a video interview of Timken. LAS Alumni Award winner article

2017
Michael J. Sofia, PhD, '84 (Katzenellengoben, J.)
Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Research, Arbutus Biopharma, Inc.
LAS Article about Michael Sofia

2016
James Spudich, BS, '63
Professor of Biochemistry, Standford University
LAS article about James Spudich

2014
Peter Senter, PhD, '81(Coates, R.)
Distinguishd Research Fellow,
Seattle Genetics
LAS article about Peter Senter

2013
Stephen J. Elledge, BS, '78
Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School
LAS article about Stephen Elledge

2011
Grant Kraft, PhD, '80(Katzenellenbogen, J.)
Chairman & CSO, Acumen, Inc.
LAS article about Grant Kraft

2009
Brock Siegel, PhD, '49 (Beak, P.)
COO, Zephyrus Bioscienes, Inc.
COO, Solexa, Inc.
LAS article about Brock Siegel

2009
Douglas L. Cole, PhD, '74 (Leonard, N.)
Former Vice President, Development Chemistry & Pharmaceutics at Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
LAS article about Douglas Cole

2007
David A. Matthews, PhD, '71 (Stucky, G.)
Co-founder, Agouron Pharmaceuticals
LAS article about David Matthews

2006
William Wechter, BS, '53; MS, '54 (Corey, E.)
Co-founder, EncorePharma, Inc.
LAS article about William Wechter

2005
George W. Parshall, PhD, '54 (Fuson, R.)
National Research Council's "Stockpile Committee"
Retired, Senior Scientist, E. I. du Pont de Nemours
LAS article about George Parshall

2004
Richard E. Heckert, AM, '47; PhD, '49 (Synder, H.)
Retired, CEO, E. I. du Pont de Nemours
LAS article about Richard Heckert

2002
John Law, PhD, '57  (Carter, H.)
Retired, Professor Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of Arizona
LAS article about John Law

2001
Phillip Sharp, PhD, '69 (Bloomfield, V.)
Founder, Biogen
Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology or Medicine, 1993
LAS article about Phillip Sharp

2000
E. Philip Horwitz, MS, '55; PhD, '57 (Moeller, G.)
Retired, Argonne Research National Laboratory
Founder, PG Research Foundation
LAS article about Philip Horwitz

2000
Seemon Pines, MS, '49; PhD, '51 (Leonard, N.)
Former, Vice President of Process Research, Merck and Company
LAS article about Seemon Pines

1997
Clayton F. Callis, MS, '46; PhD, '48 (Bailar, J.)
Former Director of Research & Development, Monsanto and President of the American Chemical Society
Chemical & Engineering News obituary

1996
Ernest L. Eliel, PhD, '48 (Synder, H.)
Formerly, W.R. Keenan Professor of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Stereochemistry pioneer
UNC obituary

1995
Robert M. Nowak, PhD, '56 (Marvel, C.)
Formerly, Director, Central Research Department, Dow Chemical Company
President/CEO (1994-2009), Michigan Molecular Institute
Member of the National Academy of Engineering for contributions and leadership in the development of new polymer synthesis and processing technologies

1994
James P. Collman, PhD, '58 (Fuson, R.)
George A. and Hilda M. Daubert Emeritus Professor, Stanford University
He is one of the founders of the field of bioinorganic chemistry, which uses metal atoms in biological molecules.

1992
Edwin G. Krebs, AB, '40
Chairman, Dept. of Pharmacology, University of Washington
Nobel Prize Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1992
New York Times obituary