Karl Barry Sharpless '63

William M. Keck Professor of Chemistry, Scripps Research Institute

Sharpless is a world leader in designing catalysts that mimic enzymes. He has already discovered two major chemical reactions, including the Sharpless Reaction, a technique, used in synthesizing chemicals, that Science magazine called "the most innovative reaction introduced in organic chemistry in modern times." Sharpless is the youngest person to receive the American Chemical Society's Arthur C. Cope Award, one of organic chemistry's highest awards. "He has single-handedly revolutionized organic synthesis of both natural products and synthetic analogs," according to a publication released by MIT, where he worked for 20 years. Other honors: a Guggenheim Fellowship, election to the National Academy of Sciences, and the Chemical Pioneer Award from the American Institute of Chemists. Sharpless plans to keep doing more of the same, "to find new reactions for making organic molecules and creating chemicals that people really need." He also preaches what he practices. When he left MIT in 1992, he endowed an undergraduate research fellowship at that school in organic chemistry. The fellowship is named after Dartmouth Professor Thomas A. Spencer, who first inspired Sharpless to go into the field.

Sharpless iseponymousamong chemists.