Distinguished professor of chemistry Marcetta Darensbourg is the 2018 Southeastern Conference Professor of the Year, making her the first Texas A&M faculty member to receive the award.
Darensbourg joined the A&M faculty in 1982 and has since become a world leader in biology-inspired chemistry empowering alternative energy options, including significant contributions to hydrogen-powered fuel cell technology.
The award was announced Wednesday by SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, who said Darensbourg exemplifies everything the conference hopes and expects from a faculty member.
“She has dedicated her career to conducting transformative research while maintaining a firm commitment to instructing students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels,” Sankey said. “We are pleased to bestow upon her our highest faculty honor.”
Consistently recognized for her teaching and mentorship, Darensbourg has directed over 50 student dissertations and received several Distinguished Achievement Awards from the Association of Former Students, among other honors.
As the first woman to receive the American Chemical Society (ACS) Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Inorganic Chemistry Award, Darensbourg now serves as a fellow of the ACS along with the Royal Society of Chemistry and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2017.
University President Michael K. Young said in a statement that Darensbourg’s SEC accolades are a well-deserved testament to her dedicated research and instruction.
“All of us at Texas A&M are thrilled that Dr. Darensbourg is being recognized by the Southeastern Conference for her contributions to the academy and the world,” said Michael K. Young, President of Texas A&M University. “She is an exceptional scientist and professor who has greatly enriched the lives and careers of her students and trainees. She is an extraordinary representative of the SEC and of Texas A&M.”