Stanford Today
Edition: July/August, 1996
Section: Science and Medicine News: Waterman Award
WWW: Waymouth Wins Nation's Top Prize for Young Scientist

By Janet Basu

Robert Waymouth, associate professor of chemistry, has won the nation's highest award for a promising young scientist -- the Alan T. Waterman Award of the National Science Foundation.

Waymouth, 35, trains chemical catalysts to do "rope tricks" and in the process has created a new class of rubbery plastics. One likely use for them: as fiber for athletic wear that will "wick" away moisture like polypropylene yet feel as soft as silk.

The prize includes a $500,000 grant over three years to pursue any line of research. The annual award recognizes a researcher age 35 or younger in any field of science and engineering. The awardees are cited for "outstanding capability and exceptional promise for significant future achievement" in their fields.

"This [award] is a recognition of truly spectacular people in science," said John Brauman, chair of the department of chemistry, who nominated Waymouth for the award. "Bob is clearly one of the most promising young scientists of his era. In a brief time, he has made major contributions to chemistry that may have a set of very practical applications." ST