On Apr. 9, 2002, the American Chemical Society awarded the Priestley Medal to Allen J. Bard ‘for his numerous contributions to chemistry,” the Society’s most prestigious award.

The scope of Bard’s research has ranged from semiconductors and high-tech display technology — called ECL because the technique can generate light through electrochemical reactions — to energy conversion devices such as fuel cells and batteries.

He has also served on many national committees dealing with energy and the environment. From 1982 to 2001 he was editor and editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.