Mavrikakis selected for Burwell Lectureship in Catalysis

The North American Catalysis Society has selected University of Wisconsin-Madison chemical and biological engineering professor Manos Mavrikakis as the recipient of the 2021 Robert Burwell Lectureship in Catalysis.

The biennial Burwell Lectureship is given in recognition of substantial contributions to one or more areas in the field of catalysis with emphasis on discovery and understanding of catalytic phenomena, catalytic reaction mechanisms, and identification and description of catalytic sites and species.

Mavrikakis was selected for elucidating the molecular level mechanisms of important heterogeneously catalyzed and electrocatalytic chemical reactions. He is also noted for developing a rigorous iterative approach for elucidating the nature of the active sites for a catalytic reaction, while the reaction is taking place.

The award includes a plaque and honorarium as well as travel expenses so the honoree can visit and lecture to each of the society’s 15 affiliated clubs and associations across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Mavrikakis will also prepare a review paper covering these lectures after they conclude.

The award itself will be presented at The 27th North American Catalysis Society Meeting, scheduled for May 2022 in New York City.

Mavrikakis is the Paul A. Elfers, James A. Dumesic, and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering at UW-Madison.