Professor Jean M.J. Fréchet (born August 19, 1944, Burgundy, France), American chemist, is a Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition, he is the head of Materials Synthesis, Materials Science Division,of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Director of the Organic and Macromolecular Facility for the Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Vice-President for research at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. He has authored nearly 900 scientific papers and holds over 70 United States Patents. His research areas include organic synthesis and polymer chemistry applied to nanoscience and nanotechnology with emphasis on the design, fundamental understanding, synthesis, and applications of functional macromolecules. He was a good friend of influential American chemist Linus Pauling and consistently mentions him in his organic chemistry lectures. As of March 2011, he is 16th on the Hirsch index rating of all living chemists with an H-index of 105. He is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Chemical Society, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and an elected member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the US National Academy of Engineering, and the Academy of Europe (Academia Europaea).
Education and Academic Career
Jean Fréchet received his first university degree at the Institut de Chimie et Physique Industrielles (now CPE) in Lyon, France, before coming to the US for graduate studies in organic and polymer chemistry at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and at Syracuse University. He joined the Chemistry Faculty at the University of Ottawa in Canada in 1973, and remained there until 1987, when he became IBM Professor of Polymer Chemistry at Cornell University. In 1995 he was named to the Peter J. Debye Chair of Chemistry at Cornell University. In 1997, Jean Fréchet joined the Chemistry Faculty at the University of California, Berkeley and was named the Henry Rapoport Chair of Organic Chemistry in 2003 and Professor of Chemical Engineering in 2005. In June 2010 he took an 18-month leave of absence from his position at Berkeley to act as Vice President Research at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.
Ingénieur-Chimiste, ICPI (now CPE) Lyon, France, 1967.MS, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1969.MS, Syracuse University, 1969.Ph.D., SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1971.Ph.D., Syracuse University, 1971.Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of Ottawa, Canada, 1973 - 1978.Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of Ottawa, Canada, 1978 - 1982.Visiting Scientist, IBM Research Laboratory, San Jose, CA, 1979.Professor of Chemistry, University of Ottawa, Canada, 1982 - 1987.Visiting Scientist, IBM Research Laboratory, San Jose, CA, 1983.Vice Dean, School of Graduate Studies & Research, University of Ottawa, Canada, 1983-1987.IBM Professor of Chemistry, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1987 – 95.Peter J. Debye Chair of Chemistry, Cornell University, NY, 1995 - 98.Faculty Senior Scientist and Head of Materials Synthesis, Materials Science Division, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 1997 - 2003.Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley 1996–present.Director of Organic/Polymer/Biopolymer facility, The Molecular Foundry, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 2003–present.Henry Rapoport Chair of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley 2003–present.Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley 2004–present.Vice President Research, King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, 2010–presentHonors and Awards
2013 Japan Prize for the "Development of chemically amplified resist polymer materials for innovative semiconductor manufacturing process"2010 Grand Prix de la Maison de la Chimie (Paris)2010 Erasmus Medal of the Academia Europaea2010 Society of Polymer Science of Japan, International Award for the "Development of functional polymers from fundamentals to application"2010 University of California Department of Chemistry Teaching Award2010 Fellow of the American Chemical Society2009 Elected to the Academy of Europe (Academia Europaea)2009 Nagoya Gold Medal2009 Arun Guthikonda Memorial Award, Columbia University.2009 Society of Polymer Science of Japan, International Award for the “Development of functional polymers from fundamentals to applications”.2009 Carothers Award for “Outstanding contributions and advances in industrial applications of chemistry”.2009 Herman Mark Award, American Chemical Society.2008 D.Sc. (Honoris Causa), University of Liverpool, UK2007 Dickson Prize in Science, Carnegie Mellon University2007 Arthur C. Cope Award (American Chemical Society award for outstanding achievement in the field of Organic Chemistry)2006 Macro Group UK Medal (joint Royal Society for Chemistry and Society of Chemical Industry) for Outstanding Achievement in the field of Macromolecular Chemistry2005 Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Service of the Public2005 Chemical Communications 40th Anniversary Award2004 Docteur de L’Université, Université d’Ottawa, Canada2003 Henry Rapoport Chair of Organic Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley2002 Docteur (Honoris Causa), Université de Lyon I, France2001 American Chemical Society, Salute to Excellence Award2001 American Chemical Society, A.C. Cope Scholar Award2000 Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences2000 Elected Member of the US National Academy of Engineering2000 Elected Fellow of the PMSE Division of the American Chemical Society2000 Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science2000 Elected Member of the US National Academy of Sciences2000 American Chemical Society, ACS Award in Polymer Chemistry2000 Myron L. Bender & Muriel S. Bender Distinguished Summer Lectureship1999 Society of Imaging Science and Technology, Kosar Memorial Award1996 American Chemical Society, ACS Award in Applied Polymer Science1995 Peter J. Debye Chair of Chemistry, Cornell University, NY1994 American Chemical Society, Cooperative Research Award in Polymer Science1987 IBM Professor of Polymer Chemistry1986 American Chemical Society, Doolittle Award in Polymer Materials Science & Engineering1986 Polymer Society of Japan Lecture Award1983 IUPAC Canadian National Committee Award
