Roald Hoffmann, 1981 Nobel laureate in chemistry and the Frank H.T. Rhodes Professor Emeritus of Humane Letters at Cornell, received the 2009 Public Service Award from the National Science Board (NSB) of the National Science Foundation, May 13, in Washington, D.C.

The award cites Hoffmann for his "extensive, broad-reaching and diverse contributions to increasing public understanding of science and, more specifically, fostering appreciation of the relevance of chemistry to culture."

"Dr. Hoffmann has reached out broadly to both the public and the scientific community to emphasize the essential role of chemistry in the world, and has built bridges between chemistry and other sciences, the arts and humanities, and the general public," said NSB Chairman Steven Beering.

The American Chemical Society's (ACS) Project SEED (Summer Experiences for the Economically Disadvantaged) summer research program is co-recipient of the award.

Hoffmann, who received the Nobel (with Kenichi Fukui) for his theoretical work determining the course of chemical reactions, is a longtime advocate for bridging gaps between the sciences and the humanities -- and between people of different cultures around the world.

His work includes columns, essays, poetry, books and plays that explore the interrelationships between chemistry, philosophy and culture. In the late 1980s he narrated a PBS television course, "World of Chemistry," an introduction to chemistry that continues to be widely used in secondary school classrooms. He also hosts a monthly science cabaret, "Entertaining Science," in New York City. In March he received the American Chemical Society's 2009 James T. Grady-James H. Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public.

Hoffmann also works to break down cultural barriers in the Middle East through scientific workshops and partnerships, including recent student workshops in Petra, Jordan, and Alexandria, Egypt.

The NSB award acknowledges his wide range of pursuits, Hoffmann said. "All of these things have come together in this recognition -- so it's a broad reaching out from science to society and to culture. It means a lot to me."