2025 ACA Award Presentations
Each year, at its annual meeting, the ACA proudly celebrates excellence in the field by recognizing and honoring the distinguished recipients of its prestigious awards. This tradition serves as an opportunity to highlight the remarkable contributions of scientists who have made significant impacts in crystallography and related disciplines. This year, we are especially pleased to feature the Bau Neutron Diffraction Award, the Margaret C. Etter Early Career Award, the Kenneth Trueblood Award, and the Fankuchen Memorial Award, each of which acknowledges outstanding achievements in research, innovation, and dedication to advancing the field.
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Bau Neutron Diffraction Award: Dr. Craig M. Brown
Sunday, July 20, 2025 @ 11:45 AM CT
Dr. Craig M. Brown has been awarded the Robert Bau Neutron Diffraction Award for his pioneering research on gas adsorption in microporous materials. A leading scientist at NIST, his work has advanced understanding of hydrogen storage, gas separation, and catalysis, particularly in MOFs and zeolites. Established in 2010 by the ACA, the triennial award honors the late Professor Robert Bau’s contributions to neutron diffraction. Beyond research, Dr. Brown is a dedicated mentor and active in the crystallographic community, making him a deserving recipient of this prestigious honor.
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Margaret C. Etter Early Career Award: Dr. Dmitry Lyumkis
Saturday, July 19, 2025 @ 11:45 AM CT
Dr. Dmitry Lyumkis received the Margaret C. Etter Early Career Award for his groundbreaking contributions to cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and structural biology, particularly in HIV research and antiviral drug development. He played a key role in solving the first high-resolution structure of the HIV-1 envelope trimer, advancing vaccine design, and elucidating the HIV intasome, crucial for antiviral therapy. Additionally, his methodological innovations in cryo-EM, including solutions for preferred specimen orientation, have been widely adopted. His impact on both structural biology and computational methods makes him a well-deserved recipient of this prestigious award.
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Kenneth N. Trueblood Award: Professors Branton J. Campbell & Harold T. Stokes
Tuesday, July 22, 2025 @ 11:45 AM CT
Branton Campbell and Harold Stokes of Brigham Young University have been awarded the 2025 Kenneth N. Trueblood Award by the ACA for their exceptional contributions to computational crystallography. Their development of the ISOTROPY software suite, including ISODISTORT and FINDSYM, has revolutionized crystallographic analysis, enabling advanced symmetry-mode studies and benefiting researchers worldwide. Their groundbreaking work in group representation theory and dedication to the structural science community make them deserving recipients of this prestigious honor.
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Fankuchen Memorial Award: Christos Malliakas
Monday, July 21, 2025 @ 11:45 AM CT
Christos Malliakas will receive the ACA Fankuchen Memorial Award in recognition of his significant contributions to crystallographic research and his dedication to teaching in the field. As the Associate Director and Research Associate Professor at the Integrated Molecular Structure Education and Research Center (IMSERC) at Northwestern University, Malliakas has demonstrated expertise in solving complex structural problems, including modulated structures, supercells, twinning, and disorders. His work extends beyond single-crystal analysis, having transformed structural elucidation capabilities at Northwestern University into a dynamic learning environment where he actively trains future structural scientists. His dedication to both advancing crystallographic methodologies and educating the next generation of researchers exemplifies the essence of the Fankuchen Award, which honors those who contribute to crystallographic research while being effective educators.
