DuPont’s Nora Radu Receives American Chemical Society’s Distinguished Service Award for the Advancement of Inorganic Chemistry

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DuPont announced that Nora Radu, Ph.D., DuPont Senior Laureate, has received the 2025 American Chemical Society (ACS) Award for Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Inorganic Chemistry, marking a historical milestone as the first industrial scientist to achieve this prestigious honor since the award was established in 1963.

“I am deeply honored to receive this award which recognizes both impactful research and dedicated service to the broader inorganic community,” said Radu. “This award is not just a personal milestone but also a reflection of the incredible support and collaboration I have had throughout my career. I hope it inspires more industrial scientists, especially women in industry, to pursue impactful research in inorganic chemistry.”

With more than 25 years of significant contributions at DuPont, Radu has advanced research and product development across multiple industries through inorganic chemistry and material science. Early in her career, Radu had a key role in advancing DuPont’s nylon products, through research focused on the development of catalysts for nylon 66 intermediates that improved cost efficiency and promoted broader industry adoption. More recently, supporting the electronics industry, she initiated dielectric material developments, which led to a multigenerational platform of polyimides for advanced packaging substrates, enabling high-performance computing in data centers and AI applications.

Radu also led the development of novel colorless and amber liquid polyimide films, a breakthrough innovation that enabled a new generation of durable, flexible displays for mobile and other electronic devices. Today, Radu’s research is enabling new offerings for advanced OLED displays, including OLED materials for improved lifetime and display performance. Over her career, Radu has been granted more than 60 patents, authored 20 internal reports and published 17 scientific papers.

“Nora’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of material science and her leadership in the chemistry community make her a deserving candidate for this award, and it’s a terrific recognition of the impact a scientist can have in industry,” said Randal King, Ph.D., Vice President of R&D/Technology, DuPont Electronics & Industrial. “DuPont is incredibly proud of her contributions, and we look forward to seeing how her work continues to shape the future of flexible display technologies and other industries.”

Beyond DuPont, Radu is actively involved in the global technology community. In 2007, while serving as Chair of the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) in Organometallic Chemistry, she initiated the GRC Graduate Research Seminar (GRS) in Organometallic Chemistry to facilitate connections among graduate students and postdoctoral associates, encouraging them to share research and explore career paths, creating a more inclusive environment for emerging researchers.  

Radu has also made significant contributions across her various appointments within the ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry (DIC). During her 12 years as Program Co-Chair, she oversaw scientific programming for national ACS meetings and led initiatives to increase participation from industry, organizing symposia focused on industrial careers and establishing the ACS DIC Early Career Industrial Investigator Award. In 2023, Radu became the first industrial scientist elected as Chair of the DIC.

“ACS applauds Dr. Radu for her groundbreaking achievements and inspiring leadership within the inorganic chemistry community,” says ACS CEO Albert G. Horvath. “As the first industrial chemist to receive this award, Dr. Radu continues to be at the cutting edge of science. Her esteemed accomplishments are a tribute to the ACS commitment to improve all lives through the transforming power of chemistry.”

The ACS Award for Distinguished Service in Inorganic Chemistry is presented annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to the advancement of inorganic chemistry through exceptional research and dedicated service. Radu’s selection highlights her reputation as a trusted leader and innovator, both for her scientific achievements and commitment to building the next generation of scientists.