Sylvia Ceyer

Sylvia Teresse Ceyer is a renowned physical chemist and the John C. Sheehan Professor of Chemistry at MIT, where she has made groundbreaking contributions to surface chemistry and catalysis research since 1981. Her pioneering work explores molecular interactions with solid surfaces under ultra-high vacuum conditions, leading to discoveries of new mechanisms like "chemistry with a hammer" and atom abstraction. She notably demonstrated that hydrogen buried beneath nickel surfaces, rather than surface-adsorbed hydrogen, is key to ethylene hydrogenation. Her research has significant implications for energy production, semiconductor manufacturing, and nanotechnology. As MIT Chemistry Department Head (2010-2015), she strengthened the department's research and educational missions. Her teaching excellence has earned multiple awards, including the MacVicar Faculty Fellowship, Baker Memorial Award, and School of Science Teaching Prize. Her scientific achievements have been recognized through election to the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Physical Society, along with prestigious honors like the Willard Gibbs Award and Nobel Laureate Signature Award for Graduate Education. Beyond research, she played a crucial role in addressing gender discrimination at MIT as one of 16 women faculty who initiated institutional changes in 1994.