Gary L. Haller, Henry Prentiss Becton Professor of Engineering and Applied Science and director of the Henry Koerner Center at Yale, received the 2016 NACS Award for Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Catalysis for his “commitment to the catalysis community and his selfless dedication to the advancement of the field.” Presented by the North American Catalysis Society, the biennial award exists “to recognize an individual who has advanced catalytic chemistry or engineering through both significant service to the catalysis community and outstanding technical accomplishments.” The award, sponsored by ExxonMobil and Clariant, will be presented to Professor Haller at the North American Catalysis Society Meeting in Denver, Colorado this June.
Professor Haller, who holds joint appointments in the departments of chemical engineering and chemistry, received a B.S. in mathematics and chemistry from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1962 and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Northwestern University in 1966. Following a NATO post-doctoral fellowship at Oxford University, he joined the faculty of Yale where he has held a variety of administrative posts that include chair of the department of chemical engineering, chair of the council of engineering, and deputy provost for physical sciences and engineering.
Professor Haller was head of Jonathan Edwards College, one of twelve residential colleges that comprise Yale College, between 1997-2008, and is currently faculty director of the Henry Koerner Center for Emeritus Faculty. His professional appointments have included serving as chair of the American Chemical Society Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry, president of the Catalysis Society of North America, co-editor of the Journal of Catalysis, and on editorial boards of several journals. His alma mater honored him with the Donald E. Fox Chemistry Lectureship and Outstanding Alumni Award, and he has received the Meritorious Service Award of the Yale Science and Engineering Association.
University lectureships include Lacey (Caltech), Harry Fair (University of Oklahoma), V. N. Ipatieff (Northwestern University), and Robert Burwell (Catalysis Society of North America). He has held visiting appointments at the University of Bahia Blanca, Université Catholique de Louvain, University of Edinburgh, University of Paris VI, New York University, and the Technical University of Münich.
Professor Haller’s research involved the molecular understanding of heterogeneous catalysts. His research combines the inorganic chemistry of catalyst synthesis, physical chemistry of spectroscopic characterization of heterogeneous catalysts, and the kinetics and mechanism of simple organic reactions. His current research is focused on catalysts for the synthesis of single walled carbon nanotubes and the application of these carbon nanotubes as supports for novel catalytic reactions, such as aqueous phase reforming (a route to renewable energy sources) and biomass refining.
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