Chancellor Fox Receives the National Medal
of Science from President Obama at the White House

Ioana Patringenaru | Nov. 22, 2010

Watch a video of Chancellor Marye Anne Fox as she receives the National Medal of Science at the White House.

Related links:
Watch a video of the complete ceremony.

Watch a video of the live chat Chancellor Fox took part in last week with two other medal recipients.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the recipients of the 2009 Medal of Science.” With these words, UC San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox and nine fellow researchers stepped onto the stage at the White House Wednesday to receive the highest honor the U.S. government bestows on the nation’s scientists.

Fox, a chemist, was recognized for her contributions in the fields of solar energy conservation, material science and environmental chemistry. President Barack Obama congratulated her and draped the medal, a large golden disk held by a red-white-and-blue ribbon, around her neck.

“To all the honorees, you have truly revolutionized the world in ways that are profoundly important to people in their day-to-day lives but also helped to create those steps in human progress that make us who we are as human beings,” Obama said during the White House ceremony. “We could not be prouder of you. We could not be more grateful.”

Developing new products and acting as an engine of scientific innovation are key to America’s success, Obama said. He pledged to restore science to its rightful place and strengthen the nation’s commitment to science. Government, working hand-in-hand with businesses and universities, must foster a climate of innovation, he added. Obama said he hoped the award recipients would inspire young men and women to become scientists. “You could spark the imagination of a young person that might just change the world,” he said. The White House hosted its first science fair last month, he noted.

During Wednesday’s ceremony, Fox shared the stage with nine other recipients, including Nobel Laureate Stanley Prusiner, who discovered prions, the pathogens that cause mad cow disease and its human equivalent, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Prusiner currently heads the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of California, San Francisco.

Watch Chancellor Fox field questions during a live chat at the White House.

“It’s a great honor to receive this prestigious recognition, and I am humbled and proud that the contributions made by my research group have advanced organic chemistry,” Fox said in a statement.  “I was fortunate to have had brilliant and hardworking graduate students who focused on fundamental principles that were later translated into practical use in solar energy conversion, environmental remediation and material science. I truly believe that important developments in science and science education are vital for the future of this nation.”

Fox, a nationally recognized chemist and academic leader, was named the seventh chancellor of UC San Diego in April 2004. Since her appointment as chancellor, the university has established new research and partnership ventures to further innovation and increase international collaboration, achieved a $1 billion campaign goal, expanded academic and campus programs and facilities, and has received national and international recognition in prominent university rankings. This year, the university is celebrating 50 years of “Achieving the Extraordinary” with a nearly yearlong, all-encompassing commemoration.

Fox’s other awards include the Garvan Award from the American Chemical Society, the Southwest Regional Award and the Charles Lathrop Parsons Award for 2005, in recognition of outstanding public service.

Previously, Fox was chancellor and distinguished professor of chemistry at North Carolina State University, a post she held since 1998. Before going to North Carolina, Fox spent 22 years at the University of Texas, where she advanced from assistant professor of organic chemistry to vice president for research and held the Waggoner Regents Chair in chemistry.

Other UC San Diego-affiliated winners of the Medal of Science include Margaret Burbidge, Michael H. Freedman, Yuan-Cheng Fung, Craig Venter, Andrew Viterbi and Walter Munk.