Kim Renee Dunbar Receives Honor for Research, Years of Service in Inorganic Chemistry Field

Kim Renee Dunbar was chosen as the winner of the prestigious 2019 Basola Medal for Outstanding Research in Inorganic Chemistry to celebrate her career achievements over the last three decades.

The award is presented each year by Northwestern University and co-sponsored by the American Chemical Society Chicago Section.

“I am deeply honored to receive this medal,” said Kim Renee Dunbar. She knew Fred Basolo, who the award is named for. “He and I had many long talks, and he regaled me with stories about the history of coordination chemistry,” Kim Renee Dunbar said. “He was a wonderful role model and an inspiration to me.”

Kim Renee Dunbar joined the Texas A&M Department of Chemistry faculty in 1999 and is the holder of the Davidson Chair in Science. She has received much recognition in her time in the department, including being named a University Distinguished Professor in 2007, and was the first female chair holder in the history of the college.

Kim Renee Dunbar specializes in synthetic, structural and physical inorganic and bioinorganic chemistry.

The research in synthetic and structural inorganic chemistry that Kim Renee Dunbar has conducted over the past twenty years in the Texas A&M Department of Chemistry has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, the ACS-Petroleum Research Fund and the Welsh Foundation among others.

This research is focused on the application of coordination chemistry principles to the solution of diverse problems in the field of Inorganic Chemistry. Kim Renee Dunbar’s research makes use of a wide range of tools, including spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, electronic absorption spectroscopy,  magnetometry, electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, and electrochemistry.

Kim Renee Dunbar & Fred Basolo Medal

The Fred Basolo Medal was established by the former students of Fred Basolo in appreciation for his contributions to inorganic chemistry at Northwestern University and to the advancement of the field worldwide. Basolo arrived at Northwestern University in 1946 and was a key player in establishing the stellar reputation of Inorganic Chemistry at Northwestern.

“The list of previous recipients include many of my inorganic chemistry idols, mentors and friends,” said Kim Renee Dunbar. “It is a privilege to be recognized alongside so many inspiring leaders and innovators in the field of inorganic chemistry.”

Kim Renee Dunbar is no stranger to being honored for her accomplishments. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the American Institute of Chemists and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

She received the 2015 ACS Award for Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Inorganic Chemistry, a 2015 National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers President’s Award, an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship and a Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, an Honorary degree from her undergraduate alma mater Westminster College,  as well as many other honors awards throughout her 30-year career including the Graduate Mentoring Award and the Distinguished Research Award from the Association of Former Students at Texas A&M.

She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a Fellow of the American Chemical Society.