Associate Dean and Chemistry Professor Recognized by ACS

Kay Brummond, associate dean for faculty in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, and professor in the school’s Department of Chemistry, is the recipient of the 2021 American Chemical Society Award for Encouraging Women into Careers in the Chemical Sciences.

In particular, ACS recognized Brummond, “for serving as a pathfinder, an agent of change, and mentor to women at all stages of their careers in the chemical sciences.”

In articulating to the ACS leadership her goals for the next decade, Brummond said, “I hope to prepare the next generation of chemists with practical skills in synthetic, organic, and computational chemistries to thrive in highly collaborative and team-oriented environments. As an active researcher and academic leader, I hope to close diversity, equality, and inclusion gaps in the sciences.”

Brummond earned her BS in chemistry from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and her PhD in chemistry from Pennsylvania State University. Brummond’s research program focuses on the discovery, development, and mechanistic understanding of chemical reactions to overcome synthetic challenges posed by molecularly complex compounds. Her major contributions to science involve both thermal and transition-metal catalyzed cyclocarbonylation and cyclization reactions. Reactions emanating from her labs have proven valuable to the synthetic preparation of natural products and other bioactives, and constituted a major thrust of the University of Pittsburgh Chemical Methods and Library Development Center (UPCMLD), an NIH Center of Excellence (2002-2013). She and her coworkers have published 90 journal articles, reviews and book chapters. Brummond has delivered over 200 invited lectures and symposia and her students and postdocs have presented over 60 conference posters at national meetings. Twenty-five graduate students have obtained PhD and MS degrees under her direction and she has mentored 36 undergraduates and 15 postdoctoral fellows.

Brummond’s scholarly endeavors have been honored with awards including the 2015 American Chemical Society (ACS) Pittsburgh Award, the 2003 Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award, the 2007 ACS Akron Section Award, the 2007 Carnegie Science Center Emerging Female Scientist Award, and the 2005 Johnson & Johnson Focused Giving Award. She was named the 2016 Diversity Catalyst Lecturer by the Open Chemistry Collaborative in Diversity Equity in recognition of her efforts to enhance their departmental climate for diversity and inclusion through inclusive policies, procedures and actions. She has been recognized in Chemical & Engineering News for her efforts to increase the representation of women among chemistry faculty at PhD-granting universities. Brummond began as Associate Dean of Faculty of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences on October 5, 2017. 

The ACS is the world's largest scientific society and the premier home of chemistry professionals.