american chemical soceity award

03/01/01

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Cal State L.A. Professor Receives
American Chemical Society Award

California State University, Los Angeles chemistry professor Carlos G. Gutiérrez was recently announced as a recipient of the 2001 American Chemical Society Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences. The award, sponsored by The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc., will be presented to Gutiérrez for his significant contributions to the educational success of students underrepresented in the sciences. It also recognizes his dedication as a classroom instructor, faculty advisor, research supervisor, director of University programs and his active participation in programs at the national level. The 2001 awards presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, April 3, 2001, at the 221st ACS national meeting in San Diego, California.

The American Chemical Society Award recognizes individuals who have significantly stimulated or fostered the interest of students, especially economically disadvantaged students, in chemistry, thereby promoting their professional development as chemists or chemical engineers, and/or increasing their appreciation of chemistry as the central science.

The award consists of $5,000 and a certificate. In addition, a grant of $10,000 will be made to the University, designated by the recipient, to strengthen its activities in meeting the objectives of the award. An allowance of up $1,500 is provided for travel expenses to the meeting at which the award was presented.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) was founded in 1876 and is a not-for-profit organization. It is the world's largest scientific society and has a membership of over 151,000 chemists and chemical engineers. The American Chemical Society was chartered by a 1937 Act of the U.S. Congress. The Society is recognized as a world leader in fostering scientific education and research, and promoting public understanding of science.

Carlos Gutiérrez
A professor of chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Carlos Gutiérrez is currently serving as director of Cal State L.A.'s NIH (National Institutes of Health) Minority Access to Research Careers and Minority Biomedical Research Support programs. He is also the faculty coordinator and mentor for the Beckman Scholars program at Cal State L.A. In his 20+ years at Cal State L.A., Gutiérrez has mentored more than 180 students through National Institutes of Health-funded programs or as a faculty participant in other projects such as the National Science Foundation-sponsored Research Improvement in Minority Institutions and Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs.

Gutiérrez, whose Ph.D. is from UC Davis, has served on and chaired various NIH committees, subcommittees and the NIGMS Council, and is an advisory committee member of the National Research Council Office of Scientific and Engineering Personnel. He has published numerous articles, all with student coauthors. In great part through his effort, the American Chemical Society (ACS) established the Committee on Minority Affairs in 1993, with Gutiérrez serving as its first chair. During his tenure as chair, the Society also established the ACS Minority Scholars Program, a $5 million scholarship program for undergraduates, and the ACS Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students to Pursue Careers in Chemical Sciences. Gutiérrez helped to establish the ACS Scholars Program in 1995, and has been active on its behalf since its inception.

As vice-chair of the National Academy of Science Committee on a National Scholars Program, under contract to NASA, Gutiérrez has articulated persuasively the responsibility of all faculty--but especially science faculty--to seek out talented minority students and encourage their academic development very early in their undergraduate careers.

In 1996, Gutiérrez was among the first individuals named by the President of the United States to receive the then-newly-established annual Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. The honor was conferred at a White House ceremony. More recently, he has received The Quality Education for Minorities in Mathematics, Science and Engineering (QEM/MSE) Network's Year 2000 MSE Giants in Science Award, and was one of four CSU faculty members selected for the $20,000 systemwide CSU Wang Family Excellence Award. His campus honors include the University's Outstanding Professor Award; the Distinguished Scholar Award from the Cal State L.A. chapter of the national honor society Phi Kappa Phi; the Cal State L.A. Hispanic Support Network Outstanding Educator Award; and the Cal State L.A. Associated Students, Inc.'s Outstanding Faculty Award.

Gutiérrez is a Pasadena resident.

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