Professor David W. MacMillan, 2021 Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry, closed the ChemBioEng IQS Talks conference cycle at IQS this year and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the URL on the day following his lecture.
El profesor David W. MacMillan, Premio Nobel de Química 2021, cerró en IQS el ciclo de conferencias ChemBioEng IQS Talks de este curso, siendo investido doctor honoris causa por la URL en la jornada siguiente a su conferencia.
On 6 June, the ChemBioEng IQS Talks conference cycle hosted the last of the academic year 2023-2024 conferences held at IQS, all of which were led by prestigious international researchers in the field of the three fundamental areas that make up its name: Chemistry, Biosciences, and Engineering.
At the end of the ChemBioEng IQS Talks 2023-24 cycle, IQS had the honour of enjoying the lecture “Development of organocatalysys and photoredox catalysis” given by Dr David W. MacMillan, professor with the Department of Organic Chemistry at the University of Princeton and 2021 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry.
After Dr Salvador Borrós, Director of IQS, welcomed all attendees, Dr Ana Belén Cuenca, Professor and Director of the Department of Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at IQS, gave a heartfelt presentation of Dr MacMillan, his research career, and his contributions in the field of asymmetric organocatalysys for the synthesis of small molecules – cross-coupling reactions – supporting more efficient and sustainable chemistry.
Dr MacMillan thanked Dr Cuenca for her kind words and the audience in attendance, then went on to offer a masterclass showcasing his great capacity for communication about asymmetric organocatalysys, photo-redox catalysis, and the use of visible light to create chemical tools for the synthesis of natural and pharmaceutical products, all the result of the research carried out by his group, the MacMillan group, and in collaboration with large companies in the pharmaceutical sector.
At the end of the conference, with an auditorium packed to the brim, the attendees posed an extensive round of questions, which Professor MacMillan answered with gratitude, showing his charisma and extraordinary friendliness.
Doctor Honoris Causa from the URL
The day after the conference, Ramon Llull University awarded Dr David W. MacMillan with an honorary doctorate, with Dr Ana Belén Cuenca as the sponsor of the ceremony. Above all, Dr Cuenca recognized Dr MacMillan’s ability to connect with everyone around him and his great human and scientific standing.
Once the ceremony was over, Dr MacMillan gave a speech expressing his thanks and the pride it gave him to join the faculty of Ramon Llull University. Then he went on to share the lessons that have been essential in his life and in his career, once again displaying his charisma, sense of humour, and friendliness.
In his closing speech at the ceremony, the Rector of the URL, Dr Josep A. Rom, thanked the IQS School of Engineering for having nominated Dr MacMillan for an honorary doctorateand the Nobel Prize Laureate himself for having accepted the award. “It is an honour for the entire Ramon Llull University community and a recognition that makes us feel like students again as we continue learning.”
