Ram Mohan

Mohan Named Young Observer for International Chemistry Conference

Jan. 14, 2002

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. —Ram Mohan, associate professor of chemistry at Illinois Wesleyan University, has been selected for the Young Observer Program by the U.S. National Committee for the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (USNC/IUPAC).

Mohan is one of eight recipients of the award, which is administered by the USNC/IUPAC under the auspices of the National Academies.

"This is a wonderful honor for Ram," said Thomas Griffiths, associate dean of the faculty at Illinois Wesleyan. "It is unusual for faculty members at undergraduate colleges to receive this award, and this speaks both to the quality of Ram’s work and also the strength of the University."

Mohan joined the Illinois Wesleyan faculty in 1996. He received the B.S. degree from Hansraj College in Delhi, India, the M.S. in organic chemistry from the University of Delhi, and the Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, which awarded him its 2002 Distinguished Alumni Award.

Mohan’s research focuses on Green Chemistry, developing environmentally friendly reagents for organic synthesis with an emphasis on bismuth compounds.

The Young Observer Program allows selected participants to experience the global efforts that impact the scientific community and to further their careers and international reputation by establishing contacts and participating in a network that leads the global chemistry enterprise. Candidates are solicited and selected based on merit, demonstrated interest in international cooperation, willingness to represent U.S. researchers in their field, and interest in sharing their experiences and work of IUPAC with U.S. colleagues.

As a Young Observer, Mohan will attend the meetings of the IUPAC General Assembly and Congress in Ottawa, Canada, in August.

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) serves to build global interaction among research communities and promote advances in chemical sciences and technology at the international level. The U.S. National Committee for the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (USNC/IUPAC) represents the interests of the U.S. chemical sciences community in IUPAC. The National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council is the U.S. adhering body to IUPAC. The U.S. National Committee operates within the National Research Council's Board on International Scientific Organizations.