Congratulations to Dr. Francis D'Souza for being selected as the winner of the 2023 Electrochemical Society's (ECS) Nanocarbons Division Robert C. Haddon Research Award. This honor is in recognition of Dr. D'Souza's work in advancing the knowledge of nanocarbon materials built on supramolecular principles for the fundamental understanding of the process of light-induced charge-separation to building light energy harvesting devices from fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene. Formal recognition of this honor will take place during the 243rd Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts in May 2023.

Dr. Francis D'Souza is currently a Regents Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering at the University of North Texas. Prior to Joining UNT in 2011, he was Professor of Chemistry at Wichita State University(WSU). He received his PhD from the Indian Institute of Science, and held postdoctoral positions at the University of Houston and the Universite de Bourgogne.

Dr. D'Souza's research covers a wide range of chemistry, nanophotonics, electrochemistry, and material science. His principal research interests include supra and nanomolecular chemistry of photosensitizer-carbon nanomaterials, advanced functional materials for light energy harvesting and photovoltaics, electrochemical and photochemical sensors and catalysts, and nanocomposite hybrid materials for energy storage and utilization. Dr. D'Souza has authored or coauthored over 475 publications, given over 400 conference talks and edited ten handbooks on Carbon Nanomaterials, resulting in over 21,000 citations with a cumulative h-index of 74.

Awards and Fellowships:

Research Leadership Award - UNT, 2022

Regents Professor - UNT, 2021

Fellow, International Association of Advanced Materials, 2020

CRSI-Medal, Chemical Research Society, India, 2020

Toulouse Scholar - UNT, 2019

ACS-DFW Doherty Research Award, 2018

Fulbright Specialist Scholar, 2018

GIAN Fellow, Govt. of India, 2018

Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry, London, 2015

University Distinguished Research Professor, 2013

Fellow, Electrochemical Society, Pennington, NJ, 2010

JSPS Fellow, 2008

Excellence in Research Award, 2006

University Board of Trustees Young Faculty Scholar Award, 1998

National Merit Scholarship, 1982-84

Gold Medal Winner in M.S. for Securing University First Rank,1984

Dr. D'Souza was an ECS board of Directors member from 2004 to 2008. He previously served as Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer of the ECS NanoCarbon Division and is currently a Member-at-Large of that division. He was instrumental in establishing and securing endowment monies for the Nanocarbon Division Richard Smalley Research and SES Young Investigator Awards.