25 May 2017
SCI America are pleased to announce that Dr Melinda H. Keefe of The Dow Chemical Company will be awarded the SCI Gordon E. Moore Medal. This medal is the premier recognition for early career success, as reflected both in market impact and improvement to quality of life. Established to draw attention to young innovators and connect with the SCI Perkin medal, the award was named after Gordon E. Moore, co-founder of Intel and a seminal figure in the establishment and development of the semi-conductor industry.
Dr. Keefe has successfully combined her passion for art and chemistry into an exceptional career encompassing the multi-faceted area of coating science. Currently a Senior R&D Manager for Architectural Coating with Dow, Keefe and her co-workers were responsible for the development of the remarkable EVOQUETM Pre-Composite Polymer platform which facilitates higher performing and more sustainable paints. Over the last 10 years Dr. Keefe has also led a technical collaboration between Dow and the art conservation science community. In this skill-based volunteerism effort, Dr. Keefe and her colleagues have successfully leveraged Dow’s coating, analytical, solvent, and formulation science ability and resources to specific challenges in art conservation. This includes a collaboration between Dow and the Tate Gallery, London, which resulted in the successful restoration of Mark Rothko’s painting Black on Maroon 1958.
"Dr. Keefe's influence on the world of paint is remarkable," said Christopher D. Pappas, President and CEO of Trinseo and Chair of SCI America. "She is in the unique position to not only have a positive ecological influence on the commercial paint market but her developments in the field of art conservation science are equally impactful. I can't think of another scientist whose skills translate in such a singular and specific way."
"Dr. Keefe is a scientist with a passion," said Dr. Sarah Eckersley, Global R&D Director, Dow Coating Materials. "In a short period of time she has pursued and achieved a career's worth of accomplishments. On behalf of Dow, we join SCI in celebrating Dr. Keefe for her contributions to coatings innovation, to the conservation of precious art, and to science."
Certainly, Dr. Keefe has made a significant, innovative, contributions in the early stages of her career. Keefe received a B.S. in Chemistry from Penn State University in 1997 and a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from Northwestern University in 2001. She was awarded the 2013 R&D 100 Award, 2013 Presidential Green Chemistry Award, the 2014 Fortune 500 "Heroes of the 500" Award, and the 2015 ACS Rising Star Award from the Women Chemists Committee of the American Chemical Society.
The SCI Gordon E. Moore Medal will be presented to Dr. Keefe at a luncheon in her honour during Innovation Day jointly hosted by SCI and the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) on Tuesday 12 September 2017 at CHF headquarters in Philadelphia.
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