societyPEOPLe nnewsews ECS Vice-President esther takeuchi named national Medal of technology Recipient ECShall Hall of Fame The following is a list of ECS members who have received one of the U.S. National Medals. See the spring 2009 issue of Interface for a full story about the ECS Hall of Fame. National Medal of Science Alfred Cho (1993) Norman Hackerman (1993) Nick Holonyak (1990) A military aide prepares to hand a National Medal of Technology and Innovation to President Barack OBama, who presented the award to EsthEr takEuchi (far left). Photo by Ryan K. Morris, National Science & Technology Medals Foundation. Rudolph Marcus (1989) EsthEr s. takEuchi, ECS Second but also economically, by helping create Fred Seitz (1973) Vice-President, has been awarded the new industries and opportunities that highest technology award in the U.S., others before them could never have Peter Debye (1965) the National Medal of Technology imagined.” and Innovation. Prof. Takeuchi is the Prof. Takeuchi was previously chief Greatbatch Professor in Power Sources scientist at Greatbatch, Inc., where she Research in the University at Buffalo worked for 22 years. Her development National Medal of School of Engineering and Applied of the lithium/silver vanadium oxide Sciences. She received the medal from battery while at Greatbatch was a major Technology and Innovation President Obama at a White House factor in bringing implantable cardiac ceremony on October 7. defibrillators (ICDs) into production in Esther Takeuchi (2008) The National Medal of Technology the late 1980s. More than 200,000 of and Innovation is administered for the these units are implanted every year, Adam Heller (2007) White House by the U.S. Department of the majority of them are powered by Commerce’s U.S. Patent and Trademark the batteries developed and improved Office. It recognizes individuals by Takeuchi and her team. C. Grant Willson (2007) or companies for outstanding Dr. Takeuchi often is cited as the contributions to the promotion of woman awarded the most patents in Alfred Cho (2005) technology for the improvement of the the U.S.—more than 140 at last count, economic, environmental, or social most of them related to her pioneering Nick Holonyak (2002) well-being of the United States. development of sophisticated power In a statement, Obama described sources for implantable devices, now a Jerry Woodall (2001) the medal’s four awardees—of whom booming multibillion-dollar business. Takeuchi is the only woman—as Named to the prestigious National embodying “the very best of American Academy of Engineering in 2004, Wilson Greatbatch (1990) ingenuity and inspiring a new she is one of just 104 women elected generation of thinkers and innovators. to the organization, considered the Gordon Moore (1990) Their extraordinary achievements highest distinction that an engineering strengthen our nation every day—not professional can achieve. Less than five just intellectually and technologically percent of the academy’s 2,400 active members are women. For more on Prof. Takeuchi, see the following articles. 1. University at Buffalo news release, http://www.buffalo.edu/news/10476 2. Buffalo News, October 8, 2009, http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/821047.html 3. Chronicle of Higher Education, October 20, 2009, http://chronicle.com/article/ ProfessorProlific-Inve/48815/ 4. UB Today, Spring/Summer 2008, http://www.buffalo.edu/UBT/UBT-archives/ volume26number3/features/powersource.html fame24 The Electrochemical Society Interface • Winter 2009 PEOPLe news Prof. Takeuchi received her John Goodenough bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania with a double major in chemistry and history. In 1981, she Receives 2009 enrico Fermi Award completed her PhD at The Ohio State University in organic chemistry. She ECS member JOhn Goodenough, a physicist and a subsequently conducted postdoctoral GoodEnOuGh, a mechanical engineer, identified and work at the University of North Carolina professor of engi- developed the cathode materials for and at the State University of New neering at The the lithium-ion rechargeable battery York at Buffalo in electrochemistry. University of Texas that is ubiquitous in today’s portable She is active in several professional (UT) at Austin, electronic devices. This cathode organizations including the American has been awarded material for power batteries has proven Chemical Society (ACS), the American the Enrico Fermi to be inexpensive, environmentally Association for Medical Instrumentation Award, one of the friendly, safe, sustainable, and capable (AAMI), and most notably ECS where most distin- of thousands of charge cycles with a she has been a member since 1984. She guished science constant output voltage without a loss is currently the Second Vice-President. and technology of capacity. Batteries incorporating his She served as the Secretary, Treasurer, honors given by cathode materials are used worldwide and then Chair of the Battery Division, the White House. Prof. Goodenough for cell phones and other portable and as Chair of the Battery Division developed materials critical to the wireless devices, power tools, hybrid Research Award Committee. She has development of lightweight and automobiles, small all-electric vehicles, organized several symposia and edited rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, as well as increasingly for electrical their proceedings volumes. ushering in the wireless revolution. energy storage for alternative energy, Dr. Takeuchi’s work has been Prof. Goodenough is also being honored such as wind and solar power. As this honored by several organizations. at the IMLB conference to be held in technology continues to develop, it She received the 2008 Astellas USA June 27-July 2, 2010. can be expected to have an enormous Foundation Award, administered by the Prof. Goodenough will share the impact on the U.S. economy and the American Chemical Society. She also presidential honor with Stanford environment by helping to reduce received the Jacob F. Schoellkopf Award University’s Siegfried S. Hecker. Each carbon dioxide greenhouse gas given by the WNY American Chemical will receive a gold medal and share the emissions. Society, the ECS Battery Division $375,000 honorarium. The award is Prof. Goodenough earned his PhD Technology Award (1995), and the administered on behalf of the White in physics in 1952 from the University Community Advisory Council of the House by the U.S. Department of of Chicago. He was a research engineer State University of New York at Buffalo Energy. Goodenough, who holds the at Westinghouse before moving to the for outstanding achievement in science. Virginia H. Cockrell Centennial Chair MIT Lincoln Laboratory as a research Dr. Takeuchi was inducted into the in Engineering at UT, is receiving the scientist and group leader from 1952 Western NY Women’s Hall of Fame and award in recognition of his lasting through 1976. He continued his career she is a Fellow of the American Institute contributions to materials science and as professor and head of inorganic for Medical and Biological Engineering technology, especially the science chemistry at Oxford University and, (AIMBE). In 2000, she was selected for underlying lithium-ion batteries. He after retiring from Oxford, returned to the Inventor of the Year Award, Physical said he had the privilege of taking the United States in 1986 to join The Sciences, presented by The Technical two courses (quantum mechanics and University of Texas at Austin. Societies Council and the Niagara nuclear physics) from Fermi while “The 2009 Enrico Fermi Award Frontier Intellectual Property Law attending the University of Chicago. will go to two scientists who have Association. In 2003, she was presented “It is a special honor to receive a selflessly devoted themselves to our the Achievement in Healthcare Award prize named after him,” Goodenough nation’s energy and national security by D’Youville College and received the said. “When I arrived at the University challenges,” said U.S. Secretary of Woman of Distinction Award presented of Chicago at the end of World War II, Energy Steven Chu. “These two by the Buffalo Branch of the American the registration officer said to me, ‘I individuals are pioneers in innovative Association of University Women. She don’t understand you veterans. Don’t research and I want to thank them for also received the Pioneers of Science you know that anyone who ever did their work and congratulate them on Award, presented by Hauptman- anything significant in physics had this award.” The Fermi Award (http:// Woodward Medical Research Institute. already done so by the time he was your www.sc.doe.gov/fermi/) is one of the In 2005, she again received the age, and you want to begin?’ But I had the oldest and most prized science and Inventor of the Year Award, Physical good fortune to have the opportunity technology awards given by the U.S. Sciences. In 2006, the Lincoln Gries to build a bridge between physics and government, and honors the memory Distinguished Alumni Award was both solid-state and electrochemistry of Nobel Laureate Enrico Fermi. The presented by Old Trail School, Bath, to achieve some targeted technological most recent award was given to Arthur Ohio, in recognition of outstanding goals, as well as to pursue fundamental H. Rosenfeld in 2005. alumni. In 2007, Dr. Takeuchi was studies in the field of solid transition- recognized by a Lifetime Achievement metal compounds.” He credited the Award presented by The Technical institutions where he has taught Societies Council and the Niagara since 1952 for providing a supportive Frontier Intellectual Property Law environment where “experimental Association for contributions to colleagues” were vital for the realization advancement of science through of his work. “I salute every one of these intellectual property. silent partners who stand behind this award,” Goodenough said. The Electrochemical Society Interface • Winter 2009 25.