American Chemical Society names Apblett to 2013 Class of Fellows

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

(l-r) ACS leader Bassam Z. Shakhashiri presents a certificate to Dr. Allen Apblett during recent induction ceremonies for Apblett, who has been formally honored as an ACS Fellow for outstanding accomplishments in science and leadership.

The American Chemical Society has named Allen Apblett, professor of chemistry at Oklahoma State University, to the 2013 class of ACS Fellows, a prestigious honor bestowed upon distinguished scientists who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in chemistry and made important contributions to the ACS, the world’s largest scientific society.

“These extraordinary scientific leaders are producing off-the-scale results that are improving our lives each and every day,” said ACS President Marinda Li Wu, Ph.D. “Their transforming work is vital in our efforts to overcome the many global challenges we now face. In short, these Fellows are true visionaries who are making the world around us a far better place.”

Apblett was specifically honored during an induction ceremony on Monday, Sept. 9, in Indianapolis, as a leader in the application of metal organic chemistry to meet challenges faced in environmental protection, green chemistry and homeland security and in novel routes to advanced materials. Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, immediate past president of ACS, also noted Apblett’s service to the ACS community as chair and councilor for the Oklahoma Local Section, as a member of the Committee on Chemical Safety and for work in organization and conference programming at local and national levels. Each Fellow received a lapel pin and a certificate.

“Becoming a Fellow of the American Chemical Society is an esteemed recognition of the importance of the professional career of a chemist,” said Apblett. “I am deeply honored by being named a Fellow, and I pledge to keep up the work that earned me this award.”

Apblett was also named a Fellow of the American Ceramic Society just last year. His research targets several problems that are faced by industry and society today, and includes three key accomplishments:

He has developed methods for the safe storage of nuclear waste and heavy metals within non-leachable ceramic waste forms. These mimic rocks that have served as the natural geological repository for the radioactive and toxic metals for billions of years. Apblett has also fashioned unique, innovative ways to produce high technology ceramics for use in electronics, medicine, water purification, homeland security, pollution prevention and remediation, and catalysis.

In addition, he has pioneered research on "one-pot" conversion of minerals to useful polymers that may one day replace petroleum-derived polymers as the world's supply of oil dwindles. Most recently, he has developed metal oxide materials that are capable of selectively removing heavy metals and arsenic from water, juice and rice syrup and can also be used to "mine" the ocean for useful metals such as uranium.

At OSU since 1997, Apblett was recently promoted to professor. He has published over 105 scientific papers or book chapters and received several awards, including the ACS Environmental Division Certificate of Merit, nomination as a member of Project Kaleidoscope's Faculty for the 21st Century, a Mortar Board Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Governor General of Canada's Medal, a Lilly Endowment Teaching Fellowship and OSU's College of Arts and Science Junior Faculty Excellence in Research Award. He is also a Riata Fellow and last year's OSU Sigma Xi lecturer.