Professor George M. Whitesides is one of the most distinguished chemists today. He is best known for his insights into surface chemistry, and he laid the groundwork for advances in nanoscience that led to new technologies in electronics, pharmaceutical science, and medical diagnostics.

Freie Universitat Berlin's Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy awarded Professor Whitesides an honorary doctorate in recognition of his scientific contributions from such diverse areas as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, nanotechnology, microfluidics, and materials science.