The UMD Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry cordially invites you to the
2022 Russell Marker Lecture
with
David MacMillan
2021 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
Professor of Chemistry, Princeton University
on
"Asymmetric Organocatalysis: Democratizing Catalysis for a Sustainable World"
Thursday, September 29, 2022
3:30 p.m. Reception
4 p.m. Lecture
Chemistry Building, Room 1407
If you have a question about this event, please contact Cathy Fisanich at cclark4@umd.edu or 301.405.1795
About the Speaker
Dave MacMillan was born in Bellshill, Scotland and received his undergraduate degree in chemistry at the
University of Glasgow, where he worked with Dr. Ernie Colvin. In 1990, he began his doctoral studies
under Professor Larry Overman at the University of California, Irvine, then assumed a postdoctoral position
with Professor Dave Evans at Harvard University (1996). His independent career began at University of
California, Berkeley, July 1998 and moved on to Caltech in June 2000 (Earle C. Anthony Chair of Organic
Chemistry). In 2006, MacMillan assumed the position of James S. McDonnell Distinguished University
Professor at Princeton University serving as Department Chair from 2010-15.
MacMillan received several prestigious awards including: the Nobel Prize (2021), the Centenary Prize
(Royal Society 2020), Nagoya Medal (Japan 2019), ACS Somorjai Catalysis Award (2018), Noyori Prize,
Japan (2018), Janssen Pharmaceutical Prize, Belgium (2016), Max Tischler Prize Harvard (2016), Ernst
Schering Award in Biology, Chemistry and Medicine, Germany (2015), ACS Harrison Howe Award
(2014). In 2018, MacMillan was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and in 2012 he became a
Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. MacMillan
helped launch and was editor-in-chief of Chemical Sciences (2009-1014) and was Chair of the NIH Study
Section SBCA (2014-2017).
MacMillan is a scientific consultant with Pfizer (worldwide), Merck (worldwide), Amgen (worldwide),
Biogen Biopharma, Abbvie Research Laboratories, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals, UCB-Celtech,
Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Gilead Research Laboratories. Dave is also a
member of the scientific advisory boards of Firmenich (Switzerland), Kadmon Pharmaceuticals (US), and
a permanent member of the RSRC board at Merck Research Laboratories. Based on a gift of $45 million
from Princeton University, Eric Schmidt (Google), Tony Evnin (Venrock), MacMillan launched the
Princeton Catalysis Initiative (PCI), and is now director.
About the Lecture
Established in 1988 by Russell E. Marker (B.S. '23, M.S. '24, chemistry), the annual Russell Marker Lecture in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Maryland focuses on natural products chemistry. Marker was an award-winning chemist who invented the octane rating system for gasoline. He also developed a proprietary chemical process—known as Marker degradation—that led to numerous hormone therapies, including the birth control pill. |