Science History Institute and Pittsburgh Conference to Present Pittcon Heritage Award to Jeanette Grasselli Brown

The Science History Institute is pleased to announce that analytical chemist and spectroscopist Jeanette Grasselli Brown will receive the 23rd annual Pittcon Heritage Award. Presented jointly with the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy (Pittcon) since 2002, this award recognizes individuals in the instrumentation and laboratory supply industries who, through their entrepreneurship and innovations, have provided scientists and technologists with the tools needed for discovery. The award will be presented at the Pittcon Conference & Expo being held in Boston March 1–5, 2025.

“As one of the 20th century’s foremost contributors to infrared and Raman spectrometry, Dr. Grasselli Brown’s influence in the field is unparalleled,” said Institute president and CEO David Cole. “From her tireless research into new industrial applications, to her retirement as the highest-ranking female executive at BP America R&D, her 35-plus-year career advocating for women in STEM speaks for itself. We are thrilled to honor her with the Pittcon Heritage Award, the premier award in the industry.”

In addition to receiving the Pittcon Heritage Award, Grasselli Brown will also be added to the Pittcon Hall of Fame, joining other pioneers such as Bill Hewlett, David Packard, Arnold Beckman, Richard Perkin, Charles Elmer, James Waters, and Sigurd and Russell Varian.

Pittcon is the largest and most inclusive conference and exposition on laboratory science and instrumentation in the world. Pittcon 2025 will include an exposition, technical program, online short courses, and learning labs, all featuring instrument manufacturers from the life sciences, analytical chemistry, and other scientific fields. More information is available at pittcon.org.

About Jeanette Grasselli Brown

Jeanette Grasselli Brown is an analytical chemist renowned for her contributions to the development of spectroscopy. She led method development during the introduction of FTIR spectroscopy, and later served as the president of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, the editor of Vibrational Spectroscopy, and wrote a column for the journal Analytical Chemistry. During her career at Standard Oil of Ohio (now BP America), she rose from the laboratory bench to become director of corporate research, the first woman to hold that job and the only woman at the director level at the time of her appointment.

A child of Hungarian immigrants, Grasselli Brown grew up around Cleveland, Ohio. She earned a BS at Ohio University in 1950 and a master’s degree in chemistry in 1958 from what is now Case Western Reserve University. Beginning her career at SOHIO in 1950, she measured some of the first IR and Raman spectra for a number of chemicals spanning small molecule organics to large polymers. “I loved my research career, but I realized by moving into management I could help other women and other people around me,” she says [1]. She retired from BP in 1989.

Grasselli Brown holds one patent and has written more than 80 research articles and edited or co-edited chapters in nine books. Her contributions have been celebrated with 13 honorary degrees, including one from the University of Pecs in Hungary.

Grasselli Brown’s philanthropy and service have made her a powerful advocate for science and education. Among the many boards she has served on and chaired is the Board of Regents (the governing body for higher education) for the State of Ohio, where she served for 13 years, including two years as chair. She has supported science education in Cleveland as the founding chair of the research committee at Holden Arboretum and as a founding board member of the Great Lakes Museum Science Center. In 2013 she founded the Cleveland Water Alliance to develop sustainable solutions to regional and global freshwater challenges.

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Featured image: Perkin-Elmer infrared spectroscopy equipment in use at Broome Community College laboratory, 1970s.

[1] The Cleveland Heritage Medal, 2020 Inductees: Jeanette Grasselli Brown. https://heritagemedal.com/2020-recipients/