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News Release

Last modified: Wednesday, March 5, 2008

IU chemist Dongwhan Lee elected a Sloan Fellow

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2008

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has awarded Indiana University Bloomington chemist Dongwhan Lee its 2008 Sloan Research Fellowship, a coveted $50,000 early-career grant.

The fellowship is intended to enhance the careers of young faculty members in chemistry, computational and evolutionary molecular biology, computer science, economics, mathematics, neuroscience and physics. Selection procedures identify those who show the most outstanding promise of making fundamental contributions to new knowledge, according to the Sloan Foundation.

The Sloan Research Fellowships have been awarded since 1955, and 35 Sloan Research Fellows have gone on to win the Nobel Prize in their fields. The foundation selected 118 fellows from the U.S. and Canada this year.

Lee is a synthetic chemist who designs and makes elaborate chemical structures as key functional components in molecular-level devices. His research group is currently developing "shape-adaptive" molecules that can change their structures and optical properties in response to changes in environment. These materials can be integrated into sensors and switches that operate with molecular-level precision and control. Ultimately, Lee is interested in creating new mechanisms by which scientists can more easily monitor microscopic events using light and electron.

In 2006, Lee won IU Bloomington's Outstanding Junior Faculty Award for devoting considerable time to the university's research, teaching and service missions. Also in 2006, Lee won a National Science Foundation CAREER award, an early-career grant that supports the activities of teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education in accordance with their institution's missions.

To speak with Lee, please contact David Bricker, University Communications, at 812-856-9035 or brickerd@indiana.edu.

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