(1946 -)

Egyptian chemist, winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize “for his studies of the transition states of chemical reactions using femtosecond spectroscopy".

Ahmed Zewail was born in Damanhur, 60km from Alexandria, Egypt. He received his B.S. with first class honors, his M.S. from Alexandria University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Special Honors received are: King Faisal International Prize in Science (1989). First Linus Pauling Chair, Caltech (1990). Wolf Prize in Chemistry (1993). Order of Merit, first class (Sciences & Arts), from President Mubarak (1995). Robert A. Welch Award in Chemistry (1997). Benjamin Franklin Medal, Franklin Institute, USA (1998).. Grand Collar of the Nile, Highest State Honor, conferred by President Mubarak (1999). A postage stamp with his portrait was issued in Egypt in 1998

He holds many honorary degrees in the sciences, arts, philosophy, law, medicine, and literature from universities and institutions in the US, Central and South America, Canada, Europe, Australia, India, Korea, China, Japan Egypt, Lebanon. He is an elected member of national and international academies and societies, he is on the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors of national and international foundations and universities, and holds the Honorary Chair at the United Nations University.

His biography is titled “Voyage through Time—Walks of Life to the Nobel Prize”. In it, as well as in his writings and lectures, he advocates helping those who struggle against economic odds to succeed.

Ahmed Zewail is the Linus Pauling Chair Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Physics, and the Director of the Physical Biology Center for UST and the NSF Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (LMS) at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, U.S.A. He and his wife have four children.

Reference: http://www.zewail.caltech.edu/biography/index.html

Photo: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1999/