Professor P. Andrew Evans
A University of Liverpool chemist has been appointed Chair of the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Division of Organic Chemistry for 2010.
Professor P. Andrew Evans is the first Chair to have been appointed outside North America since the Division of Organic Chemistry was established in 1908. The society promotes advancement of the field of organic chemistry and has a membership of more than 18,000 chemists around the world.
Professor Evans’ research is focused on the development of new medicinally important agents using naturally occurring agents as their inspiration. He won the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Pedler Award last year for his contribution to organic chemistry and in particular for the design of multi-component processes and their application to the stereoselective synthesis of complex natural products.
One of Professor Evans’ first initiatives as Chair will be to establish an annual research conference for postgraduate students from across the US. The meeting will take place in July 2010 at Boston College and is intended to provide opportunities for students who traditionally do not benefit from high level engagement with academics and industrialists.
Professor Evans said: “I am particularly excited at the opportunity to lead this organisation for the next year and to be able to oversee the introduction of several new initiatives that will widen participation in organic chemistry.”
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