Quantum chemistry pioneer Anna Krylov wins prestigious Barry Prize
Anna Krylov, USC Associates Chair in Natural Sciences and professor of chemistry at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, has been awarded the inaugural Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement by the American Academy of Sciences and Letters (AASL).
Krylov, along with nine other distinguished scholars, was inducted into the academy on Nov. 8.
The academy supports learning by encouraging the exchange of ideas within academia and in society at large and, through the Barry Prize, annually acknowledges 10 scholars who have demonstrated extraordinary achievement and commitment to excellence in arts, sciences and learned professions.
Presented during the academy’s investiture gala at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the prize recognizes Krylov’s intellectual excellence and courage and her significant contributions to theoretical and computational quantum chemistry.
Krylov’s groundbreaking work, which has advanced understanding of the electronic properties of molecules, plays a crucial role in fields including spectroscopy, bioimaging, solar energy, and quantum information science.
“I am deeply honored by the induction into the new academy and by receiving the Barry Prize. This recognition is also a testament to the prominent role of quantum chemistry in natural sciences,” Krylov said, adding that she is inspired by the academy’s efforts to promote excellence in scholarship, independence of mind and intellectual courage. “I hope that the AASL will play a pivotal role in bolstering our society’s commitment to the highest standards of honest inquiry and academic excellence, and will help to combat the erosion of liberal enlightenment values in academia,” she added.
The academy lauded Krylov’s scientific contributions as well as her efforts to spread awareness about the role science in improving the well-being of humankind. “Her eminent technical achievements are matched by her spirited professional investments in mentoring and collaboration, dissemination of scientific knowledge to wider audiences, and advocacy for those seeking opportunity in the natural sciences,” said the academy in its official citation.
Krylov’s scientific accomplishments have earned her numerous prestigious awards, including the Dirac Medal, the Bessel Research Award, the American Chemical Society Physical Chemistry Division Award, the Mildred Dresselhaus Award from Germany’s Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (German Electron Synchrotron) and Hamburg University, and the Earle K. Plyler Prize for Molecular Spectroscopy & Dynamics from the American Physical Society.
She has also been recognized at USC with the inaugural WiSE Architects of Enduring Change Award, the Hanna Reisler Mentoring Award, the Melon Mentoring Award, the USC Associates Award for Creativity in Research and Scholarship, and an inaugural Communicator of the Year Award from USC Dornsife.
Krylov is an elected member of Academia Europaea and of International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science. She is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society, the American Physical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.