Franklin Tao, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, has been selected as the 2012 recipient of the Paul H. Holloway Young Investigator Award by the American Vacuum Society (AVS), Thin Film Division. Tao received the award for his contributions to the understanding of surface and interfacial processes in thin film and nano-materials systems, based on the development of instrumentation for structural and electronic property characterization of surfaces under catalytically relevant conditions.
Tao’s research focuses on synthesis of nanocatalysts of oxides and metals using wet chemistry and dry chemistry, the evaluation of catalytic performance, and characterization of nanocatalysts under reaction conditions.
This award is named after Paul H. Holloway of the University of Florida who has a distinguished and continuing career of scholarship and service to AVS. All awardees are young scientists or engineers who have contributed outstanding theoretical and experimental work in an area important to the Thin Film Division of AVS. The award consists of a cash prize, a certificate citing the accomplishments of the recipient, and an honorary lecture at one of the TFD oral sessions at the International Symposium.