Release date: March 27, 2008
Contact: Beverly Cox Clark at 404-712-8780 or beverly.clark@emory.edu

Emory Chemist Nets Japan's Top Academic Prizes

Keiji Morokuma

Keiji Morokuma, emeritus professor of theoretical chemistry at Emory University, will receive the highest academic awards bestowed by Japan, the Japan Academy recently announced. Japan's Emperor Akihito will present Morokuma with the Imperial Prize at a June 9 ceremony in Tokyo, where Morokuma also will receive the Japan Academy Prize.

"Keiji Morokuma is a world leader in the development of theoretical and computational methods for chemistry," says David Lynn, chair of Emory's department of chemistry. "His work to understand the structure and bonding of all-carbon compounds has practical applications for the development of everything from new drugs to tennis rackets."

A native of Japan, Morokuma joined Emory in 1993 as the William Henry Emerson Chair of Chemistry and director of the university's Cherry L. Emerson Center for Scientific Computation. He was named professor emeritus at Emory in 2006, and also holds the title of research leader of the Fukui Institute for Fundamental Chemistry at Kyoto University.

The Japan Academy, which is associated with Japan's Ministry of Education, formed in 1879 to promote scientific excellence at home and abroad. Each year, the academy gives up to nine Japan Academy Prizes, comprised of a medal and one million yen (about $10,000), to scientists who have reached notable research landmarks.

Morokuma will be further honored with the Imperial Prize -- only one is awarded annually in each of two categories: humanities and natural sciences. The prize includes a certificate and a vase, presented by the emperor as an imperial gift.

Other honors received by Morokuma over a career spanning more than four decades include the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science Award; the Bourke Lectureship from the Royal Society of Chemistry; the Chemical Society Award from the Chemical Society of Japan; and the Schrödinger Medal from the World Association of Theoretical Organic Chemists.

Emory University (www.emory.edu) is one of the nation’s leading private research universities and a member of the Association of American Universities. Known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate college of arts and sciences, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities, Emory is ranked as one of the country's top 20 national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to its nine schools, the university encompasses The Carter Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, the state's largest and most comprehensive health care system.

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