DuPont Names Recipients of 2023 Lavoisier Medal and Pedersen Award

DuPont announced the recipients of the company’s 2023 Lavoisier Medal for Lifetime Technical Achievement and the prestigious Pedersen Award.

The 2023 Lavoisier Medalist is Deyan Wang, Ph.D., senior research laureate, DuPont Electronics & Industrial. The Lavoisier Medal for Lifetime Technical Achievement recognizes scientists and engineers who have demonstrated a career of creative technical contributions with significant business impact. The Lavoisier Medal is named in honor of the 18th century French chemist, Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, who is considered the father of modern chemistry.

The 2023 Pedersen Award recipients are Paul Bernatis, Ph.D., technical laureate, DuPont Electronics & Industrial; Reiyao Zhu, Ph.D., technical laureate, and Jon Johnson, Ph.D., engineering laureate, both from DuPont Water & Protection. The Pedersen Award is chosen by a select team of Laureates, a group of the highest technical professionals.

The Pedersen Award is named in honor of DuPont’s Nobel Laureate, Charles J. Pedersen, who received the 1987 Nobel Prize for his discovery of a novel class of chemical compounds called macrocyclic polyethers, which he dubbed the “crown” ethers because of their molecular shape.

“Each year we honor DuPont innovators whose work and commitment have had significant results for our business, our customers and the world. Deyan, Paul, Reiyao, and Jon are passionate trailblazers who are bringing new ideas and game-changing innovations to life,” said Alexa Dembek, DuPont chief technology and sustainability officer. “It’s an honor to call them colleagues and work side-by-side with them as we continue to deliver on our purpose to empower the world with essential innovations to thrive.”

DuPont’s 2023 Lavoisier and Pedersen Awardees and their achievements:

Lavoisier Medalist
• Deyan Wang, Ph.D., Senior Research Laureate, DuPont Electronics & Industrial, Emerging Technologies; Marlborough, MA.
Wang is an outstanding scientist and technical leader for the electronic materials community. Across his 30-year industrial career, he’s been a lifetime achiever in creating pathfinding technology for business success, including three revolutionary and highly profitable technology platforms: (1) embedded barrier layer and (2) immersion topcoat for 193 nm immersion lithography, and (3) novel leveler materials for plated copper interconnects. These inventions have driven new processes with customers and industries and have made DuPont a leader in materials for semiconductor and circuit board manufacturing.

Pedersen Award Recipients
• Paul Bernatis, Ph.D., Technical Laureate, DuPont Electronics & Industrial, Semiconductor Technologies – Advanced Cleans Technologies; Hayward, CA. Bernatis led the Advanced Cleans Technologies (ACT) post-Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) cleans development group that designed key formulations which became the highly successful 5600 copper post-CMP cleans series. Most notable was Bernatis’ invention of PCMPSolv 5615 and PCMPSolv 5640, which contain the critical components used in DuPont’s copper post-CMP cleans which is an industry standard for advanced device nodes ≤14 nm.
• Reiyao Zhu, Ph.D., Technical Laureate; DuPont Water & Protection, Aramids – Thermal Industrial Apparel; Spruance, VA. Zhu is the lead developer for Nomex thermal apparel. Her prolific research in fiber blends has significantly increased DuPont’s engagement in industrial protection via a transformational shift to multi-hazard protection.
• Jon Johnson, Ph.D., Engineering Laureate; DuPont Water & Protection, Water Solutions; Edina, MN. Johnson is the lead technical expert for the design of reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration spiral wound elements and the components that comprise them. For over two decades, he has led efforts to link fundamental engineering principles to element limitations and capabilities, which has materialized in value-added products for our customers.