Esther Conwell Receives the National Medal of Science

President Barack Obama presented the National Medal of Science to Prof. Esther Conwell at a ceremony at the White House on November 17, 2010. A video of the ceremony is available by clicking here.

Prof. Conwell is one of ten recipients of the 2010 National Medal of Science. She is the first faculty member of the University of Rochester to receive this award. Conwell is a professor of the Department of Chemistry and of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Her research earned her membership in both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, two of the highest honors a scientist or engineer can receive.

The National Medal of Science was established by the 86th Congress in 1959 as a Presidential Award to be given to individuals "deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, or engineering sciences." Since its establishment, the National Medal of Science has been awarded to 441 distinguished scientists and engineers whose careers spanned decades of research and development. Click here for more details on the National Medal of Science.

More information about the award and Prof. Conwell is available via the following links:

• Special edition of @Rochester announcing the National Medal of Science award
• More information about Ester Conwell
• Article in Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle newspaper (10/16/2010)
• Article in Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle newspaper (11/16/2010)
• Video of the award ceremony in the East Room of the White House