Gary A. Molander, the Hirschmann-Makineni Professor of Chemistry and chemistry department chair at University of Pennsylvania, has been awarded the Paul G. Gassman Distinguished Service Award by the Division of Organic Chemistry of the American Chemical Society. The award was established in 1994 to recognize outstanding service to the organic chemistry community.

Dr. Molander has a long history of service to the organic community in elected and appointed positions, both at the local and national levels. He has served the Organic Division for over 15 years as member of the executive committee, including as executive officer of the 37th National Organic Symposium, secretary-treasurer and chair of the Division. One of the most important initiatives he established, in collaboration with Andrew Evans, is the Division’s Graduate Research Symposium, now in its sixth year. The symposium was recognized by the ACS with a ChemLuminary Award.

Locally, Dr. Molander served as chair of the Philadelphia Section of the ACS and the Philadelphia Organic Chemists Club. He has been on many editorial advisory boards and is currently serving as an associate editor of Organic Letters, co-editor-in-chief of Comprehensive Organic Synthesis II and is a member of the editorial advisory board of Science of Synthesis.