2024 Award for Exceptional Service Winner
Dr Chris Swain, Cambridge Med Chem Consulting
Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through the Chemical Information and Computer Applications Group and the Biological and Medicinal Chemistry Sector.
Dr Christopher Swain describes his work as ‘inventing new medicines’. This is a difficult task that is only possible due to the collaboration of a large team of talented individuals. Despite many exciting advances in science, small molecule medicines (aspirin, for example) are still the mainstay of healthcare, enabling people to live longer with a better quality of life.
2024 Award for Exceptional Service Winner
Dr Baljit Thatti, Kingston University
Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through our member communities and governance groups.
Baljit’s day to day role is as a university academic, whose passion lies in creating a great student experience for those studying chemistry and related subjects in higher education. Being a first generation into higher education I am a huge advocate of creating opportunities and instilling confidence in students to reach their full potential. Alongside being a head of department in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, she also does this through disseminating her research. Her research impacts society-advancing materials used in biomaterial applications such as intraocular lenses.
2024 Award for Exceptional Service Winner
Dr Chris Wedge, RSC ESR Spectroscopy Group and Huddersfield Local Section
Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through our member communities in Huddersfield and the ESR Spectroscopy community.
Throughout his career as a spin-chemist, Chris Wedge has delved into the ‘spin’ property of electrons and atomic nuclei. The ‘spin-up’ and ‘spin-down’ states of an electron or nucleus have different energies when placed in a magnetic field. Chemists regularly use this fact in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, which probe, at the atomic scale, the local environment around an atomic nucleus or unpaired electron, providing exceptionally detailed structural information.
2024 Award for Exceptional Service Winner
Dr Richard Whewell, RSC Central Yorkshire Local Section
Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through our member communities in Central Yorkshire and governance groups.
Soon after starting work at the University of Strathclyde, Dr Richard Whewell could see that its success needed not only top-class chemistry research but also individual attention to its students to help them achieve the highest levels of personal development and employability. He saw this at Oxford and again over 40 years later as pupils started their education at Blenheim Primary School. Alongside departmental work, Richard was Warden of Baird Hall (1982–2004) with 313 students, most of whom were away from home for the first time.
| Year | Name | Institution | Citation |
| 2023 | Dr Jane Roberts FRSC | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through our member communities and governance groups. | |
| 2023 | Stanley Langer CChem MRSC | RSC Chilterns & Middlesex Local Section and RSC Historical Group | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry Chilterns & Middlesex Local Section, South East Regional Steering Group and Historical Group. |
| 2022 | Professor Johannes Awudza CChem FRSC | Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry in Ghana and through the Pan-African Chemistry Network. |
| 2022 | Professor Alison Hulme CChem FRSC | The University of Edinburgh | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry and the organic chemistry community through our member communities and governance groups. |
| 2022 | Dr Erica Roberts MRSC | RSC North Wales Local Section | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through our member communities and governance groups in Wales. |
| 2021 | Professor Michael Ashfold | University of Bristol | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through our member communities and governance groups. |
| 2021 | Professor John Dean | Northumbria University | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through the development and support for the analytical science community and the School's Analyst Competition. |
| 2021 | Professor Geoffrey Maitland | Imperial College London | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through our Historical Group and for advising on activities celebrating the history of the chemical sciences |
| 2021 | Dr Terry Page | Consultant | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through our member communities. |
| 2021 | Dr Helen Ryder | University of Manchester | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through our member communities and governance groups. |
| 2021 | Mr Chris Williamson | RSC Downland Local Section | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through our member communities and governance groups. |
| 2020 | Dr James Barker | Kingston University and RSC Registration Committee | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through supporting and developing professional development activities for our community, and taking an active role in our governance committees. |
| 2020 | Professor David Evans | John Innes Centre, Norwich and RSC Inorganic Biochemistry Discussion Group | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through the activities of our inorganic and biochemical member-led communities. |
| 2020 | Professor William Griffith | Imperial College London and RSC Historical Group | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through our Historical Group and for advising on activities celebrating the history of the chemical sciences. |
| 2020 | Professor John Hepworth | University of Central Lancashire and RSC Lancaster and District Local Section | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through our Local Sections, governance committees and Board of Trustees. |
| 2020 | Dr Jackie Morton | HSE Science and Research Centre, RSC Sheffield and District Local Section and RSC Atomic Spectroscopy Group | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through the activities of the Sheffield and District Local Section and the Atomic Spectroscopy Group. |
| 2019 | Mrs Gill E Berkeley | Inverness College UHI | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry and the chemical education community in Scotland. |
| 2019 | Dr Steve Byard | Arcinova | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through his commitment to the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Discussion Group. |
| 2019 | Dr Diarmaid Hanna | d5 Consulting | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through his dedication to supporting a diverse range of activities in Northern Ireland and representing their chemistry community through his involvement with a number of Boards and committees. |
| 2019 | Dr Hilary Jeffreys | Technical and Skills Manager - Consultant | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through her dedication to the development of opportunities for diverse groups to gain qualifications and join the chemical profession. |
| 2019 | Dr D Neville Jones | University of Sheffield | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through his commitment to the South Wales West Local Section. |
| 2019 | Mr Alan Middleton | Awarded for outstanding service to the Royal Society of Chemistry through his commitment to the Chemists' Community Fund and the Downland Local Section. He is recognised for his dedication to bringing chemistry to those who can no longer engage with other activities directly. | |
| 2018 | Ingeborg Buschmann, Pam Day, Suzanne Finney, Stephen Robinson, Christine Willis | ||
| 2017 | Helen H Fielding, Julie Hyde, Philip S Jones, Raymond C F Jones, Venkateswarlu Peesapati | ||
| 2016 |
Susan E Gibson, Michael J Green, Diana M Leitch | ||
| 2015 |
Sengottuvelan Balasubramanian, John H F Beckett, William Byers, Robin N Perutz | ||
| 2014 |
Alan G Osborne, Parasuraman Selvam, Peter A Tasker | ||
| 2013 |
Ian Michael Bratt, Monty Frey, Julia D I Hatto, Derry Wynn Jones | ||
| 2012 |
David Alker, Anne Cecile Bennett, Ronald Edward Buxton, Russell James Nunn, Kenneth Utting | ||
| 2011 |
Asish De, Noel Charles Grabham, David Harwood Grayson, David Alexander Whan | ||
| 2010 |
Stanley Richard Challand, Colin Richard Chapman, Ramaswamy Gopalan, Rita Woodward | ||
| 2009 |
Duncan Thorburn Burns, Trevor Geoffrey Jolley, John David Ronald Thomas, Janet White | ||
| 2008 |
Frank Ellis, Ann Patricia Gowar, Alan John Handley, Graham Victor Hutson, Richard Malcolm King, David Phillips, Anthony John Wickham | ||
| 2007 |
Edward William Abel, Derrick George Porter | ||
| 2006 |
Bill Geary, Jon McCleverty, Geoffrey Phillips | ||
| 2005 |
Jim Ballantine, J Alistair R Maclean | ||
| 2004 |
Not awarded this year | ||
| 2003 |
Not awarded this year | ||
| 2002 |
John H Holloway | ||
| 2001 |
Kenneth Allen | ||
| 2000 |
Not awarded this year | ||
| 1999 |
Doug C M Squirrell, A J S (Bill) Williams | ||
| 1998 |
Not awarded this year | ||
| 1997 |
Walter T Cuthbert | ||
| 1996 |
Not awarded this year | ||
| 1995 |
Peter G W Cobb, Stuart G Luxon | ||
| 1994 |
Jack Hoppe, W Ford-Kirkpatrick, Diana Simpson | ||
| 1993 |
Not awarded this year | ||
| 1992 |
Cedric B F Rice, Dr D Woodcock | ||
| 1991 |
Not awarded this year | ||
| 1990 |
R F Phillips, A F H Ward | ||
| 1989 |
Not awarded this year | ||
| 1988 |
J F Harding, L M Miall | ||
| 1987 |
Not awarded this year |
||
| 1986 |
C Kemball, C N Thompson | ||
| 1985 |
Not awarded this year |
||
| 1984 |
F A Robinson | ||
| 1983 |
Not awarded this year | ||
| 1982 |
T F McCombie | ||
| 1981 |
D A Arnold |
Re-thinking recognition: Science prizes for the modern world
This report is the result of an independent review of our recognition programmes. Our aim in commissioning this review was to ensure that our recognition portfolio continues to deliver the maximum impact for chemical scientists, chemistry and society.