DATE: March 24, 2009

CONTACT: Dennis Smith, 864-656-1160
dwsmith@clemson.edu

WRITER: Jessica Lance, 864-656-2061
jrlance@clemson.edu


Clemson chemistry professor receives 2009 Governor’s Award

CLEMSON — Clemson University chemistry professor Dennis Smith is the recipient of the 2009 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Scientific Research.

Dennis SmithThe award was established in 1985 by the Drug Science Foundation to honor individuals or teams whose achievements and contributions to science merit special recognition and promote wider awareness of the quality and extent of scientific activity in South Carolina.

Smith’s research interests include structure-property relationships and application of polymeric materials and composites. Much of his research is in the field of photonics, the backbone of the Internet-driven technology revolution, and the study of light to process information.

Smith is the co-founder and associate director of Clemson’s Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET) and the chairman of the American Chemical Society’s Division of Polymer Chemistry. He also co-founded Tetramer Technologies LLC in 2001 to commercialize research conducted at Clemson.

Smith received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, 3M Pre-Tenured Faculty Award, Clemson University Award for Faculty Achievement in the Sciences, Cottrell Scholar of Research Corp., Clemson University board of trustees Award for Faculty Excellence and Missouri State University 2007 Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Most recently, Smith received the 2008 Charles H. Stone Award as outstanding chemist in the southeastern United States. 

Since 2005, the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Science has been under the joint sponsorship of companies including the Dewees Development Corp., Harbor Watch of Charleston, Roche Carolina Inc., MeadWestvaco and Michelin North America.

An honorarium of $1,000 will be presented to the recipients at a special awards ceremony held in the spring in conjunction with the South Carolina Academy of Science’s annual meeting.

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