On Mar. 27, 2012, the American Chemical Society awarded the Priestley Medal to Robert S. Langer “to recognize distinguished services to chemistry,” the American Chemical Society’s most prestigious award.

Dr. Langer, the David H. Koch Institute Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, runs one of the largest academic laboratories in the world, with nearly 100 members. He has authored more than 1,100 research papers; has approximately 800 issued and pending patents worldwide that have been licensed or sublicensed to more than 220 companies; and has had a hand in creating some 25 companies.