BERKELEY

Three University of California, Berkeley, faculty members, one of whom died in 2010, were selected today (Friday, Oct. 3) by President Barack Obama to receive the National Medal of Science, the nations highest honor for a scientist.

Judith Klinman, professor emerita of chemistry.

Recipients Judith P. Klinman, 73, professor emerita of chemistry, and Alexandre J. Chorin, 76, University Professor emeritus of mathematics, will receive their awards at the White House later this year.Statistician David Blackwelldied in 2010 at the age of 91.

The three are among 10 science medalists chosen this year and nine recipientsof the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

These scholars and innovators have expanded our understanding of the world, made invaluable contributions to their fields, and helped improve countless lives, President Obama said. Our nation has been enriched by their achievements, and by all the scientists and technologists across America dedicated to discovery, inquiry, and invention.

The Presidential award is given annually to individuals deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, or engineering sciences.

Alexandre Chorin, University Professor emeritus of mathematics. Peg Skorpinski photo.

Klinmans research is concerned with the nature of enzyme catalysis:howproteins and enzymes do everything from letting our bodies use oxygen to regulating neurotransmitters. She looks for the fundamental properties that underlie these reactions, often using isotope tracers to uncover the chemical steps involved.

Chorin, who also is aSenior Faculty Scientist in the Mathematics Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, isconsidered one of the great applied mathematicians of our time. He introduced powerful new computational methods for the solution of problems in fluid mechanics, covering the spectrum from practical software to rigorous error bounds.

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Three faculty members awarded National Medal of Science