2024 Ellis R. Lippincott Award Winner
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Steven Boxer Named the 2024 Ellis R. Lippincott Award Recipient
Optica, the Coblentz Society and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) are pleased to announce that Steven Boxer, Stanford 
University, USA, has been selected as the 2024 recipient of the Ellis R. Lippincott Award. Boxer is honored for his development of vibrational Stark spectroscopy as a revolutionary tool to understand molecular interactions at the fundamental level, and for its application in enzyme catalysis to answer the century-old question of how enzymes work.
Boxer received his PhD from the University of Chicago, USA. He is the Camille Dreyfus Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Stanford University and is currently Chair of the Chemistry Department.
His research interests are broadly in biophysics: the interface of physical chemistry, biology and engineering. Topics of current interest include: electrostatics and dynamics in proteins, especially related to enzyme catalysis probed using the vibrational Stark effect which was first developed in his lab; excited state dynamics of green fluorescent protein, including split GFP, with applications in biotechnology; electron and energy transfer mechanisms in photosynthesis; and the fabrication of model membranes assemblies to simulate, manipulate and image biological membranes.
Boxer has served on the scientific advisory board of many start-ups in the general area of biotechnology, and as an advisor to 
government, universities, and non-profit organizations in the USA and around the world. He is the recipient of several awards including the Murray Goodman Memorial Prize, the Biophysical Society Founders Award and the Earle K. Plyler Prize for Molecular Spectroscopy. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Biophysical Society, and the National Academy of Sciences.
Established in 1975, the Lippincott Award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to vibrational spectroscopy as judged by their influence on other scientists. The award honors the unique contributions Ellis R. Lippincott made to the field of vibrational spectroscopy. It is jointly presented by Optica, the Coblentz Society and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy.
About Optica
Optica, Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide, is the society dedicated to promoting the generation, application, archiving and dissemination of knowledge in the field. Founded in 1916, it is the leading organization for scientists, engineers, business professionals, students and others interested in the science of light. Optica’s renowned publications, meetings, online resources and in-person activities fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate scientific, technical and educational achievement.
About the Coblentz Society
The Coblentz Society was founded 70 years ago with the purpose of fostering the understanding and application of vibrational spectroscopy and that continues to be their goal today. The non-profit Society is named after Dr. William W. Coblentz, who devoted most of his life to investigating the infrared spectra of “pure” compounds.
About SAS
The Society for Applied Spectroscopy is a non-profit organization dedicated to the dissemination of information related to spectroscopy. In business for over 50 years, the Society is committed to education and to providing quality benefits to members worldwide. The objective of this Society is to advance and disseminate knowledge and information concerning the art and science of spectroscopy and other allied sciences.
