CO-IN Symposia Announces Lifetime Achievement Award for Professor Tobin J. Marks

The CO-IN Symposia is proud to announce that its 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Professor Tobin J. Marks, Vladimir N. Ipatieff Professor of Catalytic Chemistry at Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois), in recognition of his transformative and enduring contributions to the chemical sciences.

This prestigious honor celebrates Professor Marks’s more than five decades of pioneering research across organometallic chemistry, catalysis, and advanced materials science—work that has profoundly shaped both fundamental scientific understanding and global industrial practice.

A Legacy of Scientific and Technological Impact

Professor Marks is internationally recognized as a scientific visionary whose work bridges chemistry, materials science, and engineering to address some of the most significant technological challenges of our time. His landmark contributions include:

Catalytic Polymerization

The development of highly efficient, single-site organometallic catalysts for olefin polymerization, revolutionizing the industrial production of environmentally friendly, high-performance polyolefins.

Flexible and Printable Electronics

Pioneering organic and inorganic materials that enable flexible, printable electronic devices—foundational technologies for plastic solar cells, displays, and next-generation electronic systems.

Fundamental Chemical Discovery

Foundational mechanistic insights into organo-f-element chemistry and early transition-metal catalysis, providing a framework that continues to drive innovation across synthetic and catalytic chemistry.

A Distinguished and Decorated Career

The CO-IN Lifetime Achievement Award adds to an extraordinary list of international honors bestowed upon Professor Marks, including the U.S. National Medal of Science, the Priestley Medal (the highest honor of the American Chemical Society), and the Dreyfus Prize in the Chemical Sciences. His scholarly legacy includes more than 1,600 peer-reviewed publications and over 275 issued U.S. patents, reflecting an unparalleled impact on both academia and industry.

Award Presentation

Professor Marks will formally receive the CO-IN Symposia Lifetime Achievement Award and deliver a special address on February 23, 2026 during the upcoming CO-IN Symposia CRE San Diego.