Professor Polly Arnold FRSE

Director, Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley

Polly Arnold held the prestigious Crum Brown Chair of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh until her move to the US in 2020. After earning her degrees from Oxford and Sussex, she conducted postdoctoral research at MIT as a Fulbright Fellow before returning to the UK in 1999 to begin her academic career as a lecturer. Her research explores the design and synthesis of highly reactive f-block complexes capable of activating stable small molecules such as carbon oxides, dinitrogen, and hydrocarbons. This work offers fundamental insights into the structure and bonding of elements at the lower end of the periodic table. She continues to influence policy and public discourse through international lectures, media appearances, and advisory roles. In recognition of her contributions to both chemistry and the advancement of women in STEM, she was awarded an OBE in 2017.

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