Francesca M. Kerton facts for kids

Francesca M. Kerton is a green chemist and a Professor of Chemistry. She teaches and researches at Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada.

Early Life and Education

Francesca Kerton studied chemistry at the University of Kent. She earned her first degree there. Later, she completed her D.Phil. (a type of advanced degree like a PhD) at the University of Sussex. This was between 1995 and 1999.

Her Career in Science

After finishing her studies, Dr. Kerton worked as a researcher. She had a special fellowship at the University of British Columbia from 1999 to 2000. Then, she became a junior lecturer at the University of York in the UK. This was from 2000 to 2002.

She received a special award called a Royal Society University Research Fellowship. This allowed her to continue her important research. In 2005, she moved to Canada. She became an assistant professor at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. There, she started a special group. It was called the Green Chemistry and Catalysis Group. She became an associate professor in 2010. By 2015, she was promoted to a full professor.

What She Researches

Dr. Kerton is a leader in green chemistry. This field focuses on making chemicals and products in ways that are better for the planet. She has written over 80 scientific papers. Her work covers organometallic chemistry (studying chemicals with metal and carbon bonds), catalysis (speeding up chemical reactions), and polymer chemistry (making plastics and similar materials).

Turning Waste into New Things

One of her big research areas is finding ways to use waste. Her team works on turning waste from fish and shellfish processing plants into useful raw materials. These new materials can then be used to make other chemicals. This helps reduce pollution and waste.

Making Better Plastics

Her lab also creates new ways to make polymers. Polymers are the building blocks of plastics. They use metals that are common and easy to find on Earth. This is better than using rare or expensive metals.

Books She Has Written

Dr. Kerton has helped write important books. She is a co-author of Alternative Solvents for Green Chemistry. This book is about using safer liquids in chemical processes. It was published by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

She also wrote Fuels, Chemicals and Materials from the Oceans and Aquatic Sources. This book explores how we can get useful things from the sea. It was published by Wiley.

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Kerton has received many awards for her work. In 2024, she was chosen as one of three Canadian women for a special group. This group, called "25 Women in Science," highlights researchers focused on environmental sustainability. Her research helps create new eco-friendly ways to use food waste. This supports a "circular economy," where waste is reused instead of thrown away.

In 2023, she received the Kalev Pugi Award. This award came from the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) Canada Group. She also received the Dean's Distinguished Scholar Medal in 2016. This was from Memorial University. In 2019, she won the Canadian Green Chemistry and Engineering Award. This award recognized her important research. She also became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2016. This is a high honor for chemists.

Other Important Work

Dr. Kerton also helps the scientific community in other ways. She has served on committees that decide who gets important research grants. She also helps evaluate proposals for fellowships. These fellowships support students and researchers from Commonwealth countries.

She is an associate editor for a science journal called RSC Sustainability. She also advises another journal, Reaction Chemistry and Engineering. Both journals are published by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

She is a member of a special committee called CHEMRAWN. This committee is part of the IUPAC. It focuses on how chemistry research can help solve world problems. She has been the Chair of this committee since 2020. In 2023, she was also a co-chair for the 27th Annual Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference.