GREENSBORO, NC, April 12, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Otto Benfey, Ph.D., with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Benfey celebrates many years of experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Widely renowned as a pioneer in chemical education, Dr. Benfey has been retired since 1996, having served as an adjunct professor with the department of history and sociology of science at the University of Pennsylvania from 1990 to 1996. In addition, he has been recognized as professor emeritus of chemistry and the history of science with Guilford College since 1988, having been a professor with the school from 1973 to 1988, also serving as Clerk (chair) of the faculty from 1977 to 1979. From 1956 to 1973, he worked with Earlham College, beginning as an associate professor and working his way up to professor of chemistry and the history of science, and from 1948 to 1955, he worked his way up from instructor to associate professor with Haverford College.
Dr. Benfey was inspired from an early age to enter education due to a deep interest in the history of science and, believing that his English wasn't good enough to enter humanities, he decided to pursue a career in the sciences. He began his studies as a student at University College London, earning a Bachelor of Science, with first class honors, in 1945 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1947. He then traveled to the United Stated for a postdoctoral research fellowship with Columbia University from 1947 to 1948, later holding a research fellowship with Harvard University from 1955 to 1956.
A respected voice in his community, Dr. Benfey is affiliated with numerous organizations. He is a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers), and supports the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, and the International Society for the Philosophy of Chemistry. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, for which he also served as the chair of the division of history of chemistry, a member of the executive committee for the division of chemical education, and on task forces for a history of chemistry center and the future of chemical education. In 2017 the American Chemical Society's History of Chemistry Division held a symposium in honor of his 90th birthday and presented him with a plaque in appreciation. In addition, he was an editor with the Chemical Heritage Foundation from 1989 to 1996, serving as editor-at-large into his retirement from 1996 to 2014. Dr. Benfey has previously served as the president of the Society for Social Responsibility in Science.
Throughout his career, Dr. Benfey has received awards and honors for his achievements, and he has been named a senior research fellow of the Edelstein Center for History and Philosophy of Science, Technology, and Medicine with Hebrew University. The recipient of the Doan Distinguished Teacher Travel Award from Earlham College, he was also recognized with the E. Harris Harbison Award for Distinguished Teaching from the Danforth Foundation and a Chemistry Teacher Award from the Manufacturing Chemists Association. In addition, he was awarded a Fulbright-Hays Research Study Award for research and study in Japan in 1970 and 1971. However, Dr. Benfey considers the highlight of his career to have been reunited with a classmate from his elementary school days in Germany who had supported him while others were jeering him for being Jewish during the rise of the Nazi party. He had lost contact with the friend after he relocated to the United Kingdom as a boy, but his friend found him again at the age of 87.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Ted Benfey, Ph.D., has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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