Professor Scott E. Denmark Receives 2012 Keck Foundation Science and Engineering Program Grant

Date
05/06/13

R. C. Fuson Professor of Chemistry Scott E. Denmark has been named a recipient of a prestigious W. M. Keck Foundation Science and Engineering Program Grant. His $1 million award is part of the Keck Foundation’s December 2012 award cycle. Professor Denmark’s grant will support a highly ambitious and innovative research program in the discovery and development of asymmetric catalysis.

The Keck Foundation was established in 1954 by the late W. M. Keck, founder of the Superior Oil Company. Supporting a wide range of initiatives in the fields of science, engineering, and medical research, the Foundation has provided millions to cutting edge research and innovation.

The Foundation’s Science and Engineering Program provides support for high-risk, high-impact projects that push the boundaries of their fields. Professor Denmark’s grant will enable his group to create a new discovery process for asymmetric catalysis that combines the creative power of diversity oriented synthesis with analytical power of computationally guided chemoinformatic analysis. The goal is to replace the current trial-and-error approach with a more systematic and rigorous protocol.

Of the honor, Professor Denmark said, “I was overwhelmed by this fantastic recognition. The success of our proposal validates the central hypothesis that this new approach can solve the inefficient empiricism that plagues current research in asymmetric catalysis. Of course, the funds are essential to support the work, but more importantly, this grant reaffirms my conviction that fundamental research in academic institutions is still a valuable endeavor. ”

Professor Denmark was one of only eleven scientists nationwide to be recognized by the 2012 Science and Engineering Grant Program. During his more than thirty years in the Department of Chemistry, he has been named the recipient of dozens of awards and grants for his research in structural, synthetic, and mechanistic organic chemistry.

For more information about the 2012 W. M. Keck Foundation grants see: http://www.wmkeck.org/grant-programs/research/medical-research-grant-abstracts/science-and-engineering-2012. For more information about Professor Scott E. Denmark, visit his faculty information page.
Article information furnished by W. M. Keck Foundation website and Professor Scott E. Denmark

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