- By New York State Governor's Office
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Whittingham said, "I am overcome with gratitude at receiving this award, and I honestly have so many people to thank I don't know where to begin. The research I have been involved with for over 30 years has helped advance how we store and use energy at a foundational level, and it is my hope that this recognition will help to shine a much-needed light on the nation's energy future."
Whittingham came to Binghamton University in 1988 after 16 years at Exxon Research and Engineering Company, where he received the patent for a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and Schlumberger-Doll Research. In his 30-plus year career, he has been a pioneer in the development of lithium-ion batteries and his work has been called foundational by colleagues at all levels.
He holds the original patent on the concept of the use of intercalation chemistry in high-power density, highly reversible lithium batteries - work that provided the basis for subsequent discoveries that now power most laptop computers - and his research has been called 'world-leading.
With more than 200 publications in some of the leading scholarly journals and 16 patents, Whittingham has earned a national and international reputation as a prolific scientist. His research in the area of synthesis and characterization of novel transition metal oxides for energy storage and conversion, separations or as sensors has been continuously supported since his arrival in Binghamton, with over $7 million in federal research grants from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.
"Today the family of New York celebrates the exceptional work of Whittingham and all past Nobel winners from our great state," Cuomo said. "Whittingham's work has far-reaching applications, including helping New York reach our goals to reduce carbon emissions and achieve 100 percent zero carbon electricity by 2040."
At Binghamton University, Whittingham has also helped to establish the Materials Science and Engineering Program, bringing his creativity and innovation to the University's graduate curriculum as well as to its laboratories.
Since joining the faculty at the SUNY university center, Whittingham has sustained his ground-breaking research. Working a great deal with ambient temperature, he and his research group emphasize novel approaches to synthesis which often allow structures to be formed that are unstable under the high temperatures normally used for preparing oxides.
Whittingham has been recognized by his peers with two major awards in recent years. In 2002, he was honored with the Battery Research Award of the Electrochemical Society for his many contributions to "Intercalation Chemistry and Battery Materials," and two years later he was elected a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society.
He has also participated in, and held leadership positions in, the American Chemical Society, the American Physical Society, the Electrochemical Society and the Materials Research Society; and served on the editorial boards of several journals, including Chemistry of Materials and the Materials Research Bulletin. He was also the founder and principle editor of the journal Solid State Ionics - one of the two major journals in the field.
Whittingham earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from Oxford University, before coming to the United States as a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University.
Chair of SUNY Board of Trustees Dr. Merryl H. Tisch said, "Whittingham is a role model for researchers across the world, and we are proud he leads and inspires his peers and students within Binghamton University and across all of our SUNY campuses. His Nobel Prize exemplifies the importance of public higher education and we congratulate Whittingham and join all of SUNY today in celebrating his great accomplishments."
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