SERMACS 2009 Regional Awards

Larry Krannichis Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he served as Department Chair for 27 years and facilitated the development of the department through strategic planning initiatives.  Since retiring, he has served as Interim Director of the UAB Center for Community OutReach Development, continues as the Executive Director of the Alabama Academy of Science, and maintains a very active involvement in American Chemical Society (ACS) initiatives.  Throughout his career, his research emphasized the chemistry of Group 13/15 systems with a focus on synthesis and utilization of multinuclear NMR to elucidate reaction pathways and molecular structures of these systems. He maintained a strong emphasis on the development of a high quality undergraduate chemistry program at UAB and creation of outreach programs for Alabama science teachers.  Outreach programs have varied from developing laboratory workshops for high school teachers to the operation of laboratory activity-based, in-service programs to the initiation of an NSF GK-12 program that synergistically involved graduate and undergraduate science students and K-12 science teachers in enhancing science education in local school systems.  Larry has been an active ACS member since 1964 and involved in governance at the local section, regional, and national levels.  ACS national service has encompassed the Committee on Local Section Activities (1994-2001), Committee on Membership Affairs (2002-2004), Committee on Committees (2005-2007), Board Presidential Task Force on Bylaw Changes for Local Section and Division Support (2001-2002), and Chair of the Governance Review Action Team on Division Additional Support Needs (2007).  He currently chairs the Leadership Skills Implementation Working Group for the ACS Leadership Development System that designed the system framework and oversees the development of the learning assets for the System being launched in Spring 2009.  For relaxation, Larry enjoys outdoor activities that have taken him on hiking, camping, and cycling adventure trips throughout the US and elsewhere in the world.