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Spellbound, a video series produced for the 2011 observance of the International Year of Chemistry, tells the story of scientists whose childhood curiosity about everyday things helped them launch careers in the lab, win Nobel Prizes, and make other achievements. Their curiosity, mentors, role models, and other early childhood experiences may point to approaches that can be used today, and tomorrow, in encouraging young people into careers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Episode List:

  1. A Sign on the Door: Ahmed Zewail, Ph.D.
  2. Finding Her Way: Kristala L. Jones Prather, Ph.D.
  3. A Yellow Sweater: Bassam Shakhashiri, Ph.D.
  4. When Girls Didn’t “Do” Science: Mamie Moy
  5. A Born Chemist: Isiah Warner, Ph.D.
  6. Mentors Made the Difference: Nancy Jackson, Ph.D.
  7. Heroes Made the Difference: Peter Agre, M.D
  8. The Winds of War: Helen Free, Ph.D.

Episode 1—A Sign on the Door: Ahmed Zewail, Ph.D.

  • 1999 Chemistry Nobel Laureate
  • Linus Pauling Professor of Chemistry &
    Professor of Physics, California Institute of
    Technology

Episode 2—Finding Her Way: Kristala L. Jones Prather, Ph.D.

  • Associate Professor, Department of
    Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts
    Institute of Technology
  • Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation
    New Faculty Award
  • Office of Naval Research Young Investigator
    grant
  • Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching
    Award
  • Technology Review “TR35” Young Innovator

Episode 3—A Yellow Sweater: Bassam Shakhashiri, Ph.D.

  • Professor of Chemistry, University of
    Wisconsin-Madison
  • 1986 ACS George Pimentel Award in
    Chemical Education
  • 2005 ACS Helen M. Free Award for Public
    Outreach
  • 2011 President-Elect, American Chemical
    Society

Episode 4—When Girls Didn’t “Do” Science: Mamie Moy

  • Professor, Department of Chemistry,
    University of Houston
  • 2004 Helen M. Free Awardee for Public
    Outreach from the ACS
  • 2011 ACS Award for Encouraging Women
    into Careers in the Chemical Sciences

Episode 5— A Born Chemist: Isiah Warner, Ph.D.

  • Professor of Chemistry, Louisiana State
    University
  • 2003 ACS Award for Encouraging
    Disadvantaged Students into Careers
    in the Chemical Sciences
  • 2006 Southern Chemist Award, ACS
    Memphis section
  • 2008 ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry
    Award in Spectrochemical Analysis

Episode 6—Mentors Made the Difference: Nancy Jackson, Ph.D.

  • 2009 Howard Fawcett Chemical Health &
    Safety Award, ACS Division of Chemical
    Health & Safety
  • Manager, International Chemical Threat
    Reduction Department, Global Security
    Center, Sandia National Laboratories
  • 2011 ACS President

Episode 7—Heroes Made the Difference: Peter Agre, M.D.

  • Director, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research
    Institute
  • Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
    School of Public Health
  • 2003 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry

Episode 8—The Winds of War: Helen M. Free: Helen Free, Ph.D.

  • Retired, Miles Laboratories, Bayer AG,
    Diagnostics Division
  • 1993 ACS President
  • 1995 ACS Award for Public Outreach (now
    the ACS Helen M. Free Award for Public
    Outreach)
  • 2000 National Inventors Hall of Fame
  • 2010 National Medal of Technology and
    Innovation



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