Dr. Joseph S. Francisco is a distinguished chemist whose career has included leadership in research, education, and national scientific service. He served as President of the American Chemical Society from 2009 to 2010 and was also President of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers from 2006 to 2008.

He previously served as the William E. Moore Distinguished Professor of Physical Chemistry and Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Purdue University. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1977 and his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1983. Over the course of his career, he has received numerous honors, including fellow status in the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Chemical Society, as well as a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Dr. Francisco has also held several distinguished international appointments and has been recognized by major academic institutions and scientific organizations. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2010 and to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2013. In addition, he received honorary Doctor of Science degrees from Tuskegee University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

His research focuses on spectroscopy, kinetics, and photochemistry of transient gas-phase species that play important roles in atmospheric, biochemical, and combustion processes. His work combines theoretical and experimental methods to better understand molecular structure, reactivity, and photochemical behavior. He has published more than 400 journal articles, written nine book chapters, co-authored the textbook Chemical Kinetics and Dynamics, and served on numerous national science councils.

Most recently, Dr. Francisco was appointed Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.