Melanie Sanford facts for kids

Melanie Sarah Sanford, born on June 16, 1975, is a famous American chemist. She is a top professor of chemistry at the University of Michigan. She is also a member of important groups like the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Since 2021, she has been an executive editor for the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a major science magazine.

Early Life and Education

Melanie Sanford grew up in Providence, Rhode Island. She went to Classical High School there. She then studied chemistry at Yale University, earning both a bachelor's and a master's degree in 1996. While at Yale, she also competed in gymnastics for the university team.

After Yale, she continued her studies at the California Institute of Technology. She earned her Ph.D. in chemistry in 2001. Later, she did more research at Princeton University.

In 2003, Professor Sanford began her teaching career at the University of Michigan. She quickly moved up, becoming a full professor in 2013.

Amazing Chemistry Research

Professor Sanford is well-known for her work with special chemical reactions. She studies how to make new materials using a metal called palladium. Her research helps create new ways to build molecules.

Her team has also found new ways to make materials that contain fluorine. These materials are important for things like medicines, products for farms, and medical imaging. She also worked with another scientist, Matthew Sigman, to design new compounds for special batteries called flow batteries. These batteries can store a lot of energy.

Awards and Special Honors

Melanie Sanford has received many awards for her important work in chemistry. Some of these include:

• Herbert Newby McCoy Award for Graduate Research (2001)
• Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation New Faculty Award (2003)
• Beckman Young Investigators Award (2004)
• Boehringer Ingelheim New Investigator Award in Organic Synthesis (2005)
• Eli Lilly Grantee Award (2005)
• National Science Foundation Career Awards (2006)
• Research Corporation Cottrell Scholar Award (2006)
• AstraZeneca Excellence in Chemistry Award (2006)
• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (2006)
• GlaxoSmithKline Chemistry Scholars Award (2006)
• Roche Excellence in Chemistry Award (2007)
• ACS Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award (2008)
• BASF Catalysis Award (2009)
• LSA Excellence in Teaching Award (2010)
• John Dewey Award for Undergraduate Education (2010)
• National Fresenius Award (2010)
• Arthur F. Thurnau Professorship (2011)
• ACS Award in Pure Chemistry (2011)
• Royal Society of Chemistry Fluorine Prize (2011)
• MacArthur Fellowship (2011)
• Classical High School Distinguished Alumni Award (2012)
• Moses Gomberg Collegiate Chair (2012)
• Thieme IUPAC Prize (2012)
• ACS Ipatieff Prize (2013)
• Tetrahedron Young Investigator Award in Synthetic Chemistry (2013)
• Sackler Prize in Chemistry (2013)
• ACS Sierra Nevada Section: Distinguished Chemist Award (2013)
• UM Faculty Recognition Award (2014)
• OMCOS Award (2015)
• SABIC Young Catalysis Investigator Award (2015)
• Elected Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2016)
• Elected Member, National Academy of Sciences (2016)
• Distinguished University Professor (2016)
• ACS Fellow (2016)
• Blavatnik Award (2017)
• RSC Catalysis in Organic Chemistry Award (2020)
• ACS Award in Organometallic Chemistry (2021)

See also

In Spanish: Melanie Sanford para niños