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The recipient of the 2003 Carl S. Marvel Creative Polymer Chemistry Award is Dr. James L. Hedrick from the IBM Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California. Dr. Hedrick received his Ph.D. from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1985 under the mentorship of Dr. James E. McGrath and he has since established himself as a major contributor and leader in the area of macromolecular science.

Dr. Hedrick led the research team that developed the very first thermoplastic toughened thermosets. This work paved the way for subsequent development and use of composite materials in demanding applications. The many other areas that Dr. Hedrick has been a major contributor since joining the IBM Almaden Research Center include (1) novel syntheses of thermally stable polymer for electronic applications, (2) the concept and realization of nanopore foams and their application to low dialectric constant thin film insulators, (3) the design of polymer architectures based on both conventional and novel stars and dendrimers utilizing unique simultaneous ring opening and vinyl co-polymerizations, and (4) the discovery of environmentally attractive organic nonmetallic catalysts which form the basis of a new paradigm for living polymerizations. His prolific career thus far has produced over 200 refereed journal articles and books as well as more than 30 U.S. patents. In addition to his contributions as an IBM researcher, Dr. Hedrick has also contributed to his field of science through collaborations with both academia and industrial partners and he has been a critical member in the joint Stanford/ IBM/ National Science Foundation MRSEC on Polymeric Interfaces and Macromolecular Assemblies for the past decade.

The Carl S. Marvel Creative Polymer Chemistry Award, which is currently sponsored by the Dow Chemical Company Foundation, was established in 1980 and administered by the Polymer Division of the American Chemical Society. The purpose of the award is to recognize and encourage accomplishments and/or innovation of unusual merit in the field of basic or applied polymer science by younger scientists. The award consists of a plaque and an honorarium of $2000. The award is usually presented biennially in odd-numbered years at the spring meeting of the Polymer Chemistry Division. The recipient is expected to present an address at a symposium organized in his/her honor. Travel expenses to the meeting are paid in addition to the honorarium. The 2003 award will be presented at the upcoming 225th ACS National Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. The award symposium will be held on March 24th at 1:00 pm in the New Orleans Hilton Riverside.