Professors Theresa Reineke and Jane Wissinger named ACS Fellows
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (8/4/2023) – Distinguished McKnight University Professor Theresa Reineke and Distinguished University Teaching Professor Jane Wissinger have both been named American Chemical Society (ACS) Fellows for 2023.
Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Prager Chair in Macromolecular Science Theresa Reineke is internationally recognized for her contributions to macromolecular chemistry. Her research groups’ foci include synthetic design, chemical characterization, and biological study of sophisticated macromolecules. This interdisciplinary research is at the interface of chemistry, materials science, engineering, nanoscience, and chemical biology. Named the Editor-in-Chief of ACS’ Bioconjugate Chemistry journal earlier this year, Reineke has served the ACS journal portfolio through a number of positions for over a decade. Reineke has recently cofounded two companies based on her UMN research, Nanite Inc. and Liberate Bio. In recognition of her research and service, Reineke has been honored with numerous awards including the 2022 American Chemical Society Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award, the 2018 DuPont Nutrition and Health Sciences Excellence Medal, the 2017 Carl S. Marvel Creative Polymer Chemistry Award from the American Chemical Society’s POLY Division, a National Institutes of Health Director’s New Innovator Award, a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, along with numerous junior investigator awards from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation and Arnold & Mabel Beckman Foundation.
Distinguished University Teaching Professor and Organic Chemistry Laboratory Director Jane Wissinger joined the UMN Department of Chemistry 25 years ago. In the years since, Wissinger’s research interests have focused on the development of curriculum materials for the college and high school levels that exemplify modern green chemistry methodology, advances in sustainable polymers, and guided-inquiry pedagogy. Her resolute dedication to education, mentorship, and curriculum research has been recognized with a UMN Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor award. A champion of sustainable chemistry practices, Wissinger serves as the founding chair of the UMN Sustainable and Green Chemistry committee and led the UMN-ACS Student Chapter to a Green Chemistry Chapter award. Statewide, Wissinger leads an annual Green and Sustainable Chemistry workshop for high school teachers and was honored with the 2018 ACS-CEI Award for Incorporation of Sustainability in Chemistry Education for this work. Her contributions to the ACS community include ten years of creative and diverse programming at National ACS meetings and Green Chemistry & Engineering conferences, as well as service on the Committee for Environment and Sustainability.
“I'm so proud to see two excellent UMN chemists on the list of ACS Fellows this year. Theresa and Jane have both provided extensive and distinct service to the broader chemistry community; among other things, Theresa as an editor-in-chief and Jane as a visible advocate for green chemistry in chemical education. Both Theresa and Jane bring great visibility to the many strengths of our department!” – Christy Haynes, Department Head
The American Chemical Society Fellows Program began in 2009 as a way to recognize and honor ACS members for their outstanding achievements in and contributions to the science and the profession and for their equally exemplary service to the Society. This year the ACS named 42 fellows. Reineke and Wissinger are the eighth and ninth members of the current Department of Chemistry faculty to be named fellows.