York University Professor and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Sustainable Organomain Group Materials, Thomas Baumgartner, has been selected as a 2023 Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC), an honour that recognizes the merits of members who have made outstanding contributions in chemistry.
Baumgartner, who joined York's Department of Chemistry in 2017, has pursued ongoing research focused on the design of novel materials that can be used to lower humanity’s carbon footprint and will provide knowledge crucial to the development of essential next-generation technologies for a sustainable future.
His program targets several energy-focused topics by addressing the efficient and sustainable use, conversion, and/or storage of energy via advanced synthesis in a bottom-up approach. For example, in 2020 he published research highlighting how Lithium-powered batteries might be made more environmentally friendly. His research also looks at the design of strongly luminescent species and their possible application as biomarkers and sensors.
Baumgartner has received several international awards, and lectureships, including a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science fellowship and a Bessel Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany.
His latest recognition, the CIC Fellowship, is a senior class of membership that recognizes the merits of CIC members who have made substantial contributions across multiple areas, such as:
- science, engineering and technology;
- CIC, Canadian Society of Chemistry (CSC), Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSCE) and Canadian Society for Chemical Technology activities;
- management of science, engineering or technology; and
- teaching, mentorship, and public Awareness
New Fellows are announced and certificates are presented at an awards ceremony held in conjunction with the annual conference of the CSC or CSCE.