Prof. Noel Hush wins 2007 Welch Award

Theoretical chemists receive 2007 Welch Award for pioneering analyses, contributions to understanding chemical problems

$300,000 prize recognizes lifetime achievements in basic chemistry

HOUSTON, Texas, Oct. 22, 2007 – Two highly respected theoretical chemists, Noel S. Hush, University of Sydney, and William H. Miller, University of California, Berkeley, are co-recipients of the 2007 Welch Award in Chemistry. The honor, bestowed annually by the Houston-based Welch Foundation, recognizes lifetime achievements in chemistry that have contributed to the betterment of humankind. As part of the award, Dr. Hush and Dr. Miller will share the $300,000 prize and each will receive a gold medallion.

Dr. Hush and Dr. Miller utilize quantum mechanics as a theoretical base to explain the properties of molecules and the ways they react. Their work has greatly influenced scientific discovery and provided countless researchers with basic tools necessary to understand approaches to chemical problems.

Dr. Hush is recognized for his work in developing a model to explain the rate at which molecules transfer electrons in inorganic and biological compounds. This theory allows chemists to understand reactions and test ideas and has offered considerable insight into the mechanisms of photosynthesis – the way plants use sunlight, air and water to make energy.

Dr. Miller is widely known for his development of a hybrid theory, the classical S-matrix theory, that uses Newtonian physics and quantum mechanics to model the behavior of atoms. This methodology has wide implications extending beyond the realm of chemistry to the fields of high energy physics and elementary particle theory.

“The fundamental theoretical work by Dr. Hush and Dr. Miller in chemical dynamics gives the scientific community powerful, basic research tools,” says J. Evans Attwell, chairman of the Board, The Welch Foundation. “Their work not only gives us a much better understanding of chemical processes, but also sets the stage for future discoveries than can benefit humankind. Supporting research that benefits our society is the core mission of The Welch Foundation.”

Dr. Hush earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from the University of Sydney. In 1950, he was appointed as a lecturer in physical chemistry at the University of Manchester in the UK and also earned his doctoral degree there. From 1955 until 1971 he served on the faculty at the University of Bristol. Dr. Hush returned to his native Australia to join the faculty of the University of Sydney. There, he was responsible for setting up the Department of Theoretical Chemistry, which was a new initiative for Australia.

He is an Officer of the Order of Australia, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and one of the few foreign members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Numerous awards he has received include the Flinders Medal of the Australian Academy of Science, the Centenary Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the David Craig Medal of the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Federation Medal.

Dr. Miller earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in chemical physics from Harvard. In 1969, following a post-doctoral fellowship, he joined the chemistry department of the University of California, Berkeley. He served as department chairman from 1989 until 1993 and was named the Kenneth S. Pitzer Distinguished Professor in 1999.

Dr. Miller is a member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His many awards include the E. O. Lawrence Memorial Award, the American Chemical Society Irving Langmuir Award in Chemical Physics, the American Chemical Society Award in Theoretical Chemistry and the J. O. Hirschfelder Prize in Theoretical Chemistry.

Since 1954, The Welch Foundation has provided more than $603 million in support for science. In addition to the Welch Award, the Foundation funds research grants, departmental grants, 42 academic chairs in chemistry, an annual chemical conference, a summer scholar research program for high school students, a lecture series and the annual Norman Hackerman Award in Chemical Research, recognizing up-and-coming Texas chemists.

Photo: Professor Noel S. Hush (L), and Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Welch Foundation, Mr. J. Evans Attwell (R)

Note: For further information, to schedule an interview or for photographs of Dr. Hush and Dr. Miller, please call Patty Sendelbach at (713) 752-1900 or visit www.welch1.org