Robert M. Waymouth elected to the National Academy of Sciences

Robert M. Waymouth, the Robert Eckles Swain Professor of Chemistry and a professor, by courtesy, of Chemical Engineering in the Department of Chemistry at Stanford University, has been elected as one of 120 members and 25 international members to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences (NAS) on April 28th. His pioneering advances in organocatalysis, precision polymer synthesis, polymerization mechanisms, and sustainable materials chemistry have made a significant scientific and societal impact, fundamentally influencing the design of catalytic systems in modern macromolecular science.

Professor Waymouth's research continues to explore the intersection of inorganic, organic, and polymer chemistry. He focuses on developing innovative catalytic methods for the selective synthesis of both macromolecules and fine chemicals. His key research areas include catalytic polymerization reactions, selective oxidation catalysis, advancements in organocatalytic polymerization strategies, and the design of functional macromolecules for applications in sustainable materials, biology, and medicine.

A graduate of Washington and Lee University, Professor Waymouth holds a B.S. in Mathematics and a B.A. in Chemistry. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry at Caltech in 1987 under the mentorship of Professor R.H. Grubbs. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship with Professor Piero Pino at ETH Zurich, he joined the Stanford faculty as an Assistant Professor in 1988.

Throughout his distinguished career, Professor Waymouth has received numerous accolades, including the Alan T. Waterman Award from the National Science Foundation in 1996, the Cooperative Research Award in Polymer Science in 2009, and the EPA’s Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award in 2012. He has also been honored with the ACS Polymer Chemistry Award and the Herman F. Mark Award. In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to education, he has received several teaching awards, such as the Walter J. Gores Award and the Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Award, and he currently holds the title of Bass Fellow in Undergraduate Education. Additionally, he is a member of Bio-X, the Stanford Cancer Institute, a faculty fellow at Sarafan ChEM-H, and an affiliate of the Woods Institute.

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a private, nonprofit organization comprised of leading scientists and renowned scholars. Founded in 1863, it provides independent, evidence-based advice to the federal government on scientific and technological matters. With this latest election, the total number of active members has reached 2,705, alongside 557 international members.

For the official announcement from the National Academy of Sciences on Tuesday, April 28th, please see the following link.