CHICAGO – Paint and coating manufacturer AkzoNobel and the American Chemical Society (ACS) have named Carnegie Mellon University Professor Krzysztof (Kris) Matyjaszewski, Ph.D., the winner of the inaugural AkzoNobel North America Science Award for his cutting-edge polymer chemistry research.

The AkzoNobel North America Science Award was created to recognize outstanding scientific contributions by an individual in the fields of chemistry and materials research conducted in the United States or Canada. The AkzoNobel Science Award was first presented in the Netherlands in 1970 and then extended to Sweden (1999), China (2010) and the U.K. (2012). AkzoNobel established the North America award in 2012 in collaboration with the ACS to recognize individuals helping to create a more sustainable future through scientific research.

From his discovery of the atom radical transfer polymerization, an innovative process in the way macromolecules are made, to educating students and industrial scientists on new procedures for polymeric material development, Matyjaszewski continues his efforts to deliver leading-edge research that will help advance the field of polymer chemistry.

Matyjaszewski will receive a $75,000 cash award and a certificate of recognition. He will be officially honored for his achievements at the ACS 245^th National Meeting and Exposition, held April 7-11 in New Orleans.

Matyjaszewski is the J.C. Warner University Professor of Natural Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University‘s Mellon College of Science and the Director of the Center for Macromolecular Engineering. He has been cited in scientific literature more than 50,000 times, making him one of the most cited chemists in the world. He is also one of the leading educators in the field of polymer chemistry, having mentored more than 200 postdoctoral fellows and graduate students.

In addition to the AkzoNobel North America Science Award, Matyjaszewski has received numerous awards for his work, including the 2011 Wolf Prize in Chemistry, the 2009 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award and the ACS 2011 Applied Polymer Science Award.