2007 Margaret Etter Early Career Award to Cora Lind

The Etter Early Career Award recognizes the outstanding achievement and exceptional potential in crystallographic research demonstrated by a scientist at an early stage of their independent career. Cora Lind, Univ. of Toledo, has been selected to receive the 2007 award. Dr. Lind received her PhD in 2001 from Georgia Tech where her thesis described her synthetic studies of negative thermal expansion materials using novel sol-gel methods and her extensive characterization of the structural behavior of these compounds vs. temperature and pressure.  As a post-doc at Cornell her research focused on the synthesis of complex nitrides and platinum complexes for use in fuel cells. She joined the U of Toledo faculty as an assistant professor in 2003. Her research program, already thriving and productive, is described at her web site (www.chem.utoledo.edu/FAC_INFO/Lind/SOURCE.htm). As an educator, Cora has gained the respect of her colleagues for her enthusiasm and professionalism.  She revised the curriculum of the graduate x-ray crystallography course, that had historically emphasized small molecule studies, to include theory and application of several additional methods such as powder diffraction and Rietveld analysis.  Since she was called upon to organize a session for a Gordon conference that conflicted with the ACA meeting in Hawaii she was unable to attend but did send two of her PhD students one of whom received a Pauling Prize while the other was a runner-up for the IUCr Prize. As the resident crystallographer at the U of Toledo she also manages the x-ray facility that includes a new powder diffractometer that was obtained through her efforts.  Others have already recognized her doggedness, energy and accomplishments; she was recently awarded a CAREER grant from NSF.

“Dr. Cora Lind has established herself as a superior scientist and as an established crystallographer.  She has taught the graduate level crystallography course for three years and proven to be a very effective and respected instructor.  Her analysis of NTE materials using powder diffraction received high honors at the annual ACA meeting in 2006 with her students receive a first and a second prizes.  Her research is supported by NSF CAREER and NSF CRIF awards.”

The award, established in 2002, is given annually to honor the memory of Professor Margaret C. Etter (1943-1992). She was a major contributor to the field of organic solid-state chemistry. Her work emphasized the use of hydrogen bonds and co-crystals. She was a great mentor to students and an inspiration to colleagues.