Distinguished Service Award

2002 DIVISION OF POLYMERIC MATERIALS: SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

Charles Carraher is Professor of Chemistry at Florida Atlantic University, Associate Director of the Florida Center for Environmental Studies and Director of the Environmental Chemistry Secretariat. He received his B.S. in 1963 from Sterling College and his PhD in 1967 from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Professor Carraher previously was Dean of the College of Science at FAU, Chair of the Science Division at the University of South Dakota and Chair of the Department of Chemistry at Wright State University.

Professor Carraher has been given many awards and recognitions. He was named a Fellow in the American Institute of Chemists, received the Outstanding Scientists and Engineering Award from the Engineers and Scientist Affiliate Societies Council in 1984, was named as the outstanding Chemist in southeast USA by the American Chemical Society in 1992, was given a Distinguished Service Award for his work in science education in 1994 and received the Saltarilli Sigma Xi Award for research in 1992. He has worked as a science adviser for Sen. McGovern, served as a reader for the National Science 2000 Committee, served on a national testing committee, served on the Governor's Task-Force Committee for the Sustainability of South Florida, and headed up one of the national test committees. He is a member of the National Committee on Professional Training.

In 2000 he was awarded the title of Fellow by the American Chemical Society's Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering, PMSE, being one of sixteen members recognized in the first class of Fellows. He has made special effort to encourage interations and collaboration between theoreticians and experimentalists from various disciplines.

Professor Carraher is recognized as one of the founders of the general area of organometallic polymers. His research has led to the synthesis of over 70 new families of polymers as well as new methods for their characterization and synthesis. He has chaired numerous national and international committees. He is a founder and co-chair of PolyEd, which works with kindergarten through post-graduate education through a number of groups. PolyEd has worked to develop the science education page of USA Today; recognizes outstanding high school teachers of science on a national basis; publishes PEN, a science newsletter that goes to all the universities and colleges in the USA and Canada; and works with industry in developing short courses and other educational aids. Professor Carraher is also one of the founders of IPEC which is an inter-societal organization focusing on K-12 education. This past year IPEC influenced over 500,000 students. Both PolyEd and IPEC are supported by PMSE and PC. He serves on the Executive Board for the Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering and on the Division of Polymer Chemistry and the editorial board of numerous journals. Currently he is associate editor of the Journal of Polymer Materials and a contributing editor of Polymer News.

Research areas include high strength materials, geo-membranes, use of coupled mass spectroscopy in the identification of materials including a coupled thermoanalysis and mass spectrometry instrument that recently become commercially available, biomedical and bioactive materials (for the treatment of yeast infections, cancers, juvenile diabetes, Parkinson's disease, new bacterial strains, etc.), heavy metal contamination of natural waters, solid waste management, renewable resources, high energy radiation (laser) containment and enhancement, plant growth hormones for better food production, thermally stable materials, and high temperature superconductors. He is holder of a number of basic patents including the initial chemical synthesis of nucleic acids. He has also been involved in work related to the restoration of the Everglades. He has chaired or co-chaired over thirty international symposia.

Professor Carraher chaired the first committee to create a national standardized examination in polymer chemistry and the first committee that evaluated the presence of polymer chemistry in the undergraduate curriculum. In addition, he is author or co-author of about forty books and over 750 articles in a number of broad areas. In addition to his professional writing, he writes in many diverse areas including learning styles, management and ISO, risk management and assessment, toxicology, human genome, and chaos. Currently he is involved in educational innovations such as bonding activities and additional/alternative supportive activities involving learning chemistry.

Professor Carraher co-authored with Clara Craver the book Applied Polymer Science 21^st Century that was part of the 75^th celebration of PMSE. He is also the author of the most widely used introductory polymer text book, Polymer Chemistry, that will shortly be in its 6^th edition.

He has been recognized in numerous publications such as Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World, Directory of American Scholars, Outstanding People of the 20^th Century, International Leaders in Achievement, Directory of American Scholars, International Who's Who of Public Service, Outstanding Intellectuals of the 20^th Century, Personalities of America, International Directory of Distinguished Leadership, and Men of Achievement. He served on the Board of Directors for Covenant College and was recognized as an outstanding alumnus by both Sterling College and the University of Missouri, Kansas City.

Past Distinguished Service Award Winners

2001 Service Award Winner

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