Theoretical chemist presented with Steacie Prize
Professor Paul Ayers calls the coveted Steacie Prize a 'team effort.' The theoretical chemist formally received the award when he delivered the Steacie Lecture June 26 on campus.
Who knew electrons could be so exciting?
The subatomic particle was the focus of this year’s Steacie lecture, given by McMaster’s Paul Ayers.
The theoretical chemist was named winner of the prestigious Steacie Prize – given to an individual who has made notable contributions to research in Canada – earlier in the year.
“Like all honours of this type, it really is a team prize: it reflects the hard work of the amazing students and postdoctoral scientists who work with me at McMaster, as well as the help I’ve received from my distinguished collaborators from abroad,” Ayers told the Daily News when he was named the award’s recipient. “I couldn’t work on, much less solve, the types of problems I’m interested in without their help.”
Ayer leads one of the largest theoretical research groups in the country. Members of his team were present at the June 26 talk to celebrate the achievement.
Ayers is just the third McMaster faculty member to receive the Steacie Prize, widely recognized as Canada’s most prestigious award for scientists and engineers under the age of 40.
Organometallic chemist Peter Maitlis received the award in 1970, and Physics and Astronomy professor Jules Carbotte received it in 1975.
