Prestigious R & D Leadership Award Presented to Former

Prestigious R&D Leadership Award Presented to Former

Uma Chowdhry accepts the Earle B. Barnes Award for Leadership in Chemical Research Management.  (left to right) ACS President Nancy Jackson, Uma Chowdhry and ACS Past President Katie Hunt.

On March 29, the American Chemical Society (ACS) presented its prestigious Earle B. Barnes Award for Leadership in Chemical Research Management to former DuPont Chief Science & Technology Officer Uma Chowdhry, who retired in 2010.  This prestigious award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and creativity in promoting the sciences of chemical research management.

As DuPont's Chief Science & Technology Officer (CSTO) from 2006-10, Uma exhibited the ability to lead a broad, dispersed research organization to advance science, accelerate progress on DuPont's sustainable growth mission, and evolve DuPont's market-driven science offerings for the company's third century.

“If you ask any of her colleagues, they would have resounding praise for Uma and her ability to cultivate, motivate and inspire the research and development staff to tackle the tough challenges of our day,” said Tom Connelly, executive vice president and chief innovation officer at DuPont.  “Uma has been a driving force in our transition into new synthetic materials through biotechnology and nanotechnology and for the global expansion and integration of DuPont research and development.”

Tom Connelly

As CSTO, Uma recruited and developed top talent globally to ensure DuPont remains an innovation leader.  She championed construction of new research facilities in India and Brazil, grew the research staff in developing regions by more than 400 scientists and engineers, and enhanced collaboration between organizations to accelerate progress.  Under Uma’s guidance, DuPont researchers delivered $10 billion in revenue from new products and filed more than 2,000 U.S. patent applications in 2009 and 2010.

“In the 21^st century, talented people around the world are partnering in new ways to accelerate development of science-based innovations that meet the world’s rising demands driven by global population growth,” Uma said.  “Recent advances in diverse fields such as genetic engineering, cellular biology, computing and nanotechnology open a new world of possibilities when integrated with traditional disciplines, paving the way for the new, renewable economy. DuPont is committed to the principle of sustainable growth and to being an active participant in this revolution. I’m glad to have helped along the way.”

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