Chemistry Professor Gets Career Booster

Fu-Ming Tao, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Cal State Fullerton, was named one of five winners nationwide of the Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award.

The award, given annually by the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Inc., goes to outstanding young chemistry professors who have completed five to eight years of service at a college or university. The foundation was established in 1969 in New York City to help the teaching and research careers of talented young faculty in the chemical sciences.

Tao, the only recipient of the award west of the Mississippi, was nominated by John Olmstead, chairman of Cal State Fullerton’s chemistry and biochemistry department.

“This is terrific,” Olmstead said. Tao “is a very prolific theoretical research chemist. He successfully involves students from high school to master’s students in his work.”

Robert H. Lichter, executive director of the foundation, wrote in a letter to Tao: “Not only have you displayed continuing dedication to education of undergraduates, but you have also demonstrated outstanding scientific accomplishments.”

For three years, Tao has directed a summer internship program for students at Troy High School in Fullerton. Some of the students he has mentored have gone on to win their own awards, including a $25,000 prize from Intel Corp., sponsor of the Science Talent Search competition

“Maybe years later, they’ll become famous scientists,” Tao said.

“I have become interested in engaging with those students to engage the community,” he said. “It’s consistent with the mission and goals of Cal State Fullerton.”

The award includes a check for $60,000. Of that amount, $5,000 will go toward undergraduate education in the chemistry and biochemistry department at Cal State Fullerton.

Tao, a Brea resident who joined the university faculty in 1995, specializes in the study of atmospheric oxidation chemistry, which is related to air pollution research.

Tao was a research associate at Harvard and Brown universities and received his doctorate in chemistry from Boston University in 1991.

He has also written and co-written 65 papers or articles since 1991, was awarded several research grants and has made nearly 30 presentations, including one at the 10th International Congress of Quantum Chemistry, held in June in France.