Purpose

The ACS Applied Polymer Science Award is given to recognize outstanding achievements in the science and engineering of plastics, coatings, polymer composites, and related fields.  This award is managed by the American Chemical Society.

Honorarium

The award consists of $5,000 and a certificate. Up to $2,500 for travel expenses to the meeting at which the award will be presented will be reimbursed.

History

The award was established in 1968, currently in its 50th year.  It has been sponsored by numerous companies, including the Borden Company and Phillips Petroleum Company.  Currently, the award is sponsored by the Eastman Chemical Company.

Eligibility and Nominations

The award is granted to an individual without regard for nationality and nominations are welcome from all sectors of industry, government and academia.  For detailed instructions on how to nominate, please the ACS award page for details.

2019 Award Winner: Dr. Shanti Swarup

PPG Senior Scientist, Coatings Research and Development

Dr. Shanti Swarup, PPG Senior Scientist, Coatings Research and Development, is the winner of the 2019 American Chemical Society Award in Applied Polymer Science.

The award recognizes and encourages outstanding achievements in the science or technology of plastics, coatings, polymer composites, adhesives and related fields.

Throughout his career, Dr. Swarup has made key contributions that have helped create many commercial products with higher performance, less environmental impact or lower cost than prior generations of products. Swarup has developed more than 50 polymers and is the named inventor on 76 distinct U.S. patents. These polymers are used in products that are responsible for more than $8 billion in cumulative sales for PPG.

“Our researchers are committed to the pursuit of fundamental science and new technologies to keep PPG at the forefront of coatings,” said David Bem, PPG Vice President, Science and Technology, and Chief Technology Officer. “Dr. Swarup has been a valued contributor to PPG’s success for nearly 30 years. His career has been focused on applied polymer science, primarily in polymer science for PPG’s automotive customers. It is an honor to have Dr. Swarup recognized by the ACS alongside the top contributors in this field, and we are extremely proud of his continued accomplishments.”

Dr. Swarup will be recognized at the 257th ACS National Meeting in April 2019 with a daylong symposium in his honor.