Professor Vivian Yam, Founding member of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, Philip Wong Wilson Wong Professor in Chemistry and Energy, Chair Professor of Chemistry at the University of Hong Kong, has been selected as the recipient of the 2023-24 Bailar Medal by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) for her outstanding contributions to the rational design and synthesis of new luminescent metal complexes, as well as her achievements in fundamental research in inorganic and coordination chemistry. Professor Yam is the first Asian scientist to receive the Bailar Medal, which recognises excellence in the field of inorganic chemistry.
“I am humbled and honoured to be the first Asian inorganic chemist to be awarded the Bailar Medal that has a long history of over 50 years, and to be following the footsteps of giants in the field of inorganic and coordination chemistry. I wish to thank the University of Hong Kong for the support and encouragement throughout the years,” said Professor Yam.
Established in 1972, the Bailar Medal, named in honour of Professor John Christian Bailar, Jr., known as the father of American coordination chemistry and former faculty member at the University of Illinois, is a highly prestigious award that recognises outstanding contributions to inorganic chemistry research.