For his work in energy storage and power generation, Héctor D. Abruña, the Émile M. Chamot Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) has received the 2026 Gustavus John Esseln Award for Chemistry in the Public Interest from the Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society.
The award honors outstanding achievement in scientific and technical work that contributes to public well-being. This year, it recognizes Abruña’s innovative contributions to electroanalytical chemistry.
Abruña will give an award lecture, “The Energy Landscape in the Age of Sustainability," and receive the award at the Harvard Faculty Club on April 17 at 8 p.m., a free event open to the public.
In his research, Abruña uses synthetic chemistry to develop novel electrode materials and employs advanced operando methods for their characterization. His work has transformed the understanding of electrochemical interfaces, advancing the performance and capacity of batteries and fuel cells.
Abruña’s efforts have led to new technologies for the next generation of batteries and fuel cells that can power electric vehicles and aircraft. The Abruña Energy Initiative (AEI) is developing infrastructure for electric vehicles at Cornell University, including a network of renewably powered fast chargers. The AEI is also working in Vieques, Puerto Rico – a community that has been without operational health-care facilities since Hurricane Maria in 2017 – to establish a hydrogen-enabled clean-power microgrid.
Start-ups including Factorial Energy, Ecolectro, and Conamix are successfully commercializing Abruña’s group research, focusing on significant and scalable improvements in sustainable energy production and delivery.
Abruña is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences, as well as a fellow of the International Society of Electrochemistry and of the Electrochemical Society.
His many awards and honors include the Electrochemical Society’s Grahame Award, the American Chemical Society’s Electrochemistry Award, the National Award in Analytical Chemistry and the Global Energy Prize. In 2024, Abruña was awarded the Enrico Fermi Award, one of the oldest and most prestigious science and technology honors bestowed by the U.S. government.
Previous winners of the Esseln Award for Chemistry from Cornell’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology (A&S) include Geoff Coates (2020-2021), Bruce Ganem (2012) and Jerry Meinwald (1991).
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