World-Renowned Chemist Peter Stang Awarded Texas A&M Honorary Doctorate

Peter J. Stang, distinguished professor of chemistry at the University of Utah and a 2011 National Medal of Science recipient, has been honored by Texas A&M University for career achievement in education, research and service with an honorary doctorate, presented Friday (Dec. 16) as part of fall commencement ceremonies.

Stang, an international leader in the fields of physics, organic, inorganic and petroleum chemistry, is renowned for significantly advancing organic chemistry during the last five decades. He and his team act as molecular architects who rearrange the building blocks of chemistry to create new and better products to serve advanced medicine, information storage and energy. While much of his work has been fundamental in nature, his contributions have led to significant development of materials for advanced medicine, energy applications and other such benefits to society.

Since 2013, Stang has interacted with various Texas A&M faculty and graduate students in both research and mentoring capacities as a member of the inaugural class of Texas A&M Institute for Advanced Study (TIAS) Faculty Fellows. Stang continues to collaborate on cutting-edge projects within the Texas A&M Department of Chemistry and College of Science, which spearheaded his honorary doctorate process.

“Professor Stang is an internationally-eminent scholar who has achieved exceptional accomplishment and distinction in scholarship and service to chemistry, specifically, and the sciences in general,” said Texas A&M Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Karen L. Wooley in her nomination.

Stang is a member of the National Academy of Sciences as well as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In addition to the National Medal of Science, he was awarded one of his field’s highest honors, the American Chemical Society’s 2013 Priestley Medal.

Learn more about Stang and his work as a TIAS Faculty Fellow.

For more information on the Texas A&M Institute for Advanced Study, go to http://tias.tamu.edu/.