Chemistry International
Vol. 21, No. 4
July 1999
40th
IUPAC Council Meeting
Free University, Berlin, Germany, 13-14 August 1999
Election
of Officers and Bureau Members: Secretary-General
President
Vice President
Past-President
Secretary General
..Prof. Edwin D. Becker
TreasurerVacancy
BureauFour Vacancies (Minimum)
Prof. Edwin D. Becker (USA)
Dr. Edwin D. Becker |
Dr. Edwin D. Becker was born in 1930 and received his B.S.
in chemistry from the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, in 1952 and
his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1955.
Dr. Becker has spent the major part of his career since 1955
at the National Institutes of Health near Washington, DC. He has been Chief
of the Molecular Biophysics Section, 1961-72; Chief of the Laboratory of Chemical
Physics, 1972-80; Associate Director for International Research, 1979-81;
Associate Director for Research Services, 1980-88; Chief of the NMR Section
in the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, 1988-98; and Scientist Emeritus, 1998
to present. From 1959-97, Dr. Becker was a professorial lecturer at Georgetown
University, Washington, DC, where he taught graduate-level courses.
Dr. Becker is internationally known for his research in molecular
spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and for his three books
on NMR. He has published about 100 papers on vibrational spectroscopy and
hydrogen bonding. He has extensive administrative experience at the National
Institutes of Health, where for eight years he managed research services with
about 1 300 employees and an annual budget in excess of USD 150 million.
IUPAC Activities: Dr. Becker has been active in IUPAC
during the last 26 years, including service as: Member, 1973-75, and Chairman
of the Commission on Molecular Structure and Spectroscopy, 1975-81; Member,
1977-81, and Secretary of the Physical Chemistry Division, 1981-85; Member,
1986-88, and Chairman of the Committee on Publications, 1988-94; and Member,
1979-84, and Chairman of the United States National Committee for IUPAC, 1984-86.
He has served on a number of other committes and boards; of special note is
his tenure as Chairman of the Committee on International Activities of the
American Chemical Society from 1993-96. He has been Secretary General of IUPAC
from 1996 to present. As secretary general, Dr. Becker has spearheaded many
programs to strengthen IUPAC and has established international networks to
bring the global chemistry community together to work toward a common goal.
Awards: Dr. Becker's awards include the Coblentz Prize
in Vibrational Spectroscopy, 1966; Fellow of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science, 1988; Bicentennial Medal, Georgetown University,
1989; and Foreign Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India, 1992.
Other Positions: American Chemical Society, Committee
on International Activities, Member, 1987-96, Chairman, 1993-96; Joint Committee
on Atomic and Molecular Physical Data, 1967-89, Chairman, 1978-81; Federal
Executive and Professional Association Board, 1973-83, President, 1982-83;
Editorial Board, Journal of Magnetic Resonance, 1969-98; and Section Editor,
Encyclopedia of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, 1992-96.