2026 Cope and Cope Scholar Award winners

The following vignettes highlight the recipients of the 2026 Arthur C. Cope Award and Arthur C. Cope Scholar Awards, presented by the American Chemical Society in recognition of excellence in organic chemistry. The quotes were provided as written statements and have been edited for length and clarity. These award recipients will be honored during a dedicated symposium at the ACS Fall 2026 meeting. Gregory C. Fu Sponsor: Endowed fund established by Arthur C. Cope Citation: For the groundbreaking development of new methods for organic chemistry, spanning transition-metal catalysis, organocatalysis, and asymmetric catalysis, and for the exploitation of new reaction pathwaysCurrent position: Norman Chandler Professor of Chemistry, California Institute of TechnologyEducation: SB, chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; PhD, chemistry, Harvard UniversityFu on who inspired him to become a scientist: “When I was an undergraduate student, Barry Sharpless was my biggest inspiration, as a teacher in the classroom and as a research adviser. He exudes a genuine fascination for science.”What Fu’s colleagues say: “Greg is one of the very best investigators in the development of new methods for organic synthesis, particularly enantioselective processes and the use of Earth-abundant catalysts. He is unusual in his steadfast focus on studying, and ultimately solving, challenges in selective catalysis that were previously deemed unsolvable.”—Robert G. Bergman, University of California, BerkeleyArthur C. Cope Scholar AwardsSponsor: Endowed fund established by Arthur C. CopeLutz AckermannCitation: For outstanding contributions to the development of stereoselective C–H activations and electrocatalysis by Earth-abundant, 3D-transition-metal catalystsCurrent position: Professor of organic chemistry, University of GöttingenEducation: Diploma, chemistry, Kiel University;