DowDuPont Specialty Products Division has named three outstanding scientists as 2017 Pedersen Award Medalists:  Paul J. Fagan, Arthur C. Ouwehand and David J. Rodini. The award is named in honor of DuPont’s Nobel Laureate, Charles J. Pedersen, and recognizes individuals who have made outstanding technical contributions that have delivered significant value to customers.

“Our customers rely on science-based innovations from DuPont to help them succeed,” said DowDuPont Specialty Products Division Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer Alexa Dembek. “We are pleased to honor Paul, Arthur and David, who all exemplify qualities needed to innovate in today’s marketplace: deep technical knowledge, a collaborative mindset and a strong commitment to meeting customer needs.”

Pedersen Medalists are selected by DuPont Fellows, a group of the highest technical professionals in the company. The 2017 medals have been awarded for the following achievements:

• Paul J. Fagan (Wilmington, Delaware) is recognized for his technical leadership in the application of chemistry to the development of renewably sourced materials. He has made significant technical contributions, leading numerous important projects such as the production of sustainable polymers and the conversion of sugars to bio-based products.

• Arthur C. Ouwehand (Ingå, Finland) is recognized for his outstanding technical contributions in the fields of microbiome sciences and probiotics for applications such as animal and human nutrition.

• David J. Rodini (Richmond, Virginia) is recognized for his technical expertise in the areas of aramid monomer and polymer production, as well as fiber functionalization and modification. He was responsible for development of antistatic technology for DuPont™ Nomex® fiber, fabric and thermal apparel business.

The 2017 Pedersen Medalists were honored in award ceremonies last week in Wilmington, Delaware.

Charles Pedersen received the 1987 Nobel Prize for his discovery of a novel class of chemical compounds called macrocyclic polyethers, which he dubbed the “crown” ethers because of their molecular shape. The structure of these compounds enables them to coordinate to certain metallic ions such as sodium or potassium which bind to the center of the “crown,” much like a key fits in a lock. This specific lock-and-key feature of the crown ethers mimics the very complicated functions of biological materials such as enzymes and substrates in a relatively uncomplicated way, and thus researchers have found a number of important applications in the chemical and biological sciences. Read about the Pedersen Award Medalists on the DuPont Media Center.