DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

ACS Award in Inorganic Chemistry

Northwestern Chemistry annually invites and hosts the recipient of the American Chemical Society Inorganic Chemistry Award, connecting students and faculty with leading researchers in the field. The award, presented by the American Chemical Society, recognizes fundamental advances in inorganic chemistry, with emphasis on originality and independence.

Northwestern’s leadership in inorganic chemistry dates back to 1896, when the University awarded its first Ph.D. in chemistry for an inorganic thesis, “The Hydrolysis of Ferric Chloride.” While inorganic chemistry developed slowly in the United States prior to World War II, the field entered a period of rapid growth following the Department’s 1946 hiring of Fred Basolo. In collaboration with Ralph Pearson, Basolo helped shape modern inorganic chemistry through 53 joint publications and their influential book, Kinetics and Mechanisms of Inorganic Reactions.

Since that period, Northwestern’s inorganic faculty has expanded to include leading scientists across coordination chemistry, solid-state chemistry, and bioinorganic chemistry, with additional contributions from researchers in physical and organic chemistry.

Today, the Department is internationally recognized as a leader in inorganic chemistry and is ranked #14 globally and #3 in the United States in chemistry by U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 global rankings.

Past ACS Lecturers