Jean Fréchet
Jean M.J. Fréchet is an American chemist and Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the head of the Division of Materials Synthesis and Materials Science of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Director of the Organic and Macromolecular Facility for the Molecular Foundry at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Vice-President for research at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. He has authored nearly 900 scientific papers and holds over 70 United States patents. His research areas include organic synthesis and polymer chemistry applied to nanoscience and nanotechnology with emphasis on the design, fundamental understanding, synthesis, and applications of functional macromolecules.
Fréchet is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Chemical Society, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and an elected member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the US National Academy of Engineering, and the Academy of Europe.
Education and Academic Career
Jean Fréchet received his first university degree at the Institut de Chimie et Physique Industrielles in Lyon, France, before coming to the US for graduate studies in organic and polymer chemistry at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and at Syracuse University. He joined the Chemistry Faculty at the University of Ottawa in Canada in 1973, and remained there until 1987, when he became IBM Professor of Polymer Chemistry at Cornell University. In 1995 he was named to the Peter J. Debye Chair of Chemistry at Cornell University. In 1997, Jean Fréchet joined the Chemistry Faculty at the University of California, Berkeley and was named the Henry Rapoport Chair of Organic Chemistry in 2003 and Professor of Chemical Engineering in 2005. In June 2010 he took an 18-month leave of absence from his position at Berkeley to act as Vice President Research at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.- Ingénieur-Chimiste, ICPI Lyon, France, 1967.
- MS, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1969.
- MS, Syracuse University, 1969.
- Ph.D., SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1971.
- Ph.D., Syracuse University, 1971.
- Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of Ottawa, Canada, 1973 - 1978.
- Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of Ottawa, Canada, 1978 - 1982.
- Visiting Scientist, IBM Research Laboratory, San Jose, CA, 1979.
- Professor of Chemistry, University of Ottawa, Canada, 1982 - 1987.
- Visiting Scientist, IBM Research Laboratory, San Jose, CA, 1983.
- Vice Dean, School of Graduate Studies & Research, University of Ottawa, Canada, 1983-1987.
- IBM Professor of Chemistry, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1987 – 95.
- Peter J. Debye Chair of Chemistry, Cornell University, NY, 1995 - 98.
- Faculty Senior Scientist and Head of Materials Synthesis, Materials Science Division, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 1997 - 2003.
- Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley 1996–present.
- Director of Organic/Polymer/Biopolymer facility, The Molecular Foundry, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 2003–present.
- Henry Rapoport Chair of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley 2003–present.
- Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley 2004–present.
- Vice President Research, King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, 2010–present
Honors and awards
- 2019 King Faisal International Prize in Chemistry
- 2013 Japan Prize for the "Development of chemically amplified resist polymer materials for innovative semiconductor manufacturing process"
- 2010 Grand Prix de la Maison de la Chimie
- 2010 Erasmus Medal of the Academia Europaea
- 2010 Society of Polymer Science of Japan, International Award for the "Development of functional polymers from fundamentals to application"
- 2010 University of California Department of Chemistry Teaching Award
- 2010 Fellow of the American Chemical Society
- 2009 Elected to the Academy of Europe
- 2009 Nagoya Gold Medal
- 2009 Arun Guthikonda Memorial Award, Columbia University.
- 2009 Society of Polymer Science of Japan, International Award for the "Development of functional polymers from fundamentals to applications".
- 2009 Carothers Award for "Outstanding contributions and advances in industrial applications of chemistry".
- 2009 Herman Mark Award, American Chemical Society.
- 2008 D.Sc., University of Liverpool, UK
- 2007 Dickson Prize in Science, Carnegie Mellon University
- 2007 Arthur C. Cope Award
- 2006 Macro Group UK Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the field of Macromolecular Chemistry
- 2005 Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Service of the Public
- 2005 Chemical Communications 40th Anniversary Award
- 2004 Docteur de L'Université, Université d'Ottawa, Canada
- 2003 Henry Rapoport Chair of Organic Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
- 2002 Docteur, Université de Lyon I, France
- 2001 American Chemical Society, Salute to Excellence Award
- 2001 American Chemical Society, A.C. Cope Scholar Award
- 2000 Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- 2000 Elected Member of the US National Academy of Engineering
- 2000 Elected Fellow of the PMSE Division of the American Chemical Society
- 2000 Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
- 2000 Elected Member of the US National Academy of Sciences
- 2000 American Chemical Society, ACS Award in Polymer Chemistry
- 2000 Myron L. Bender & Muriel S. Bender Distinguished Summer Lectureship
- 1999 Society of Imaging Science and Technology, Kosar Memorial Award
- 1996 American Chemical Society, ACS Award in Applied Polymer Science
- 1995 Peter J. Debye Chair of Chemistry, Cornell University, NY
- 1994 American Chemical Society, Cooperative Research Award in Polymer Science
- 1987 IBM Professor of Polymer Chemistry
- 1986 American Chemical Society, Doolittle Award in Polymer Materials Science & Engineering
- 1986 Polymer Society of Japan Lecture Award
- 1983 IUPAC Canadian National Committee Award