The Herbert Newby McCoy Award
The Herbert Newby McCoy Award was established in 1964 by Mrs. Ethel Terry McCoy in honor of her husband, a distinguished Purdue University alumnus. A native of Richmond, Indiana, Herbert Newby McCoy studied chemistry at Purdue, earning a BS degree in 1892 and an MS degree in 1893. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago in 1898. McCoy spent the early part of his career as a professor of chemistry, teaching at Fargo College, the University of Utah, and the University of Chicago. He was awarded the Willard Gibbs Medal in 1937 for his contributions to the field of chemistry. During the latter part of his career, he was president of Carnotite Reduction Co. in Chicago, and vice president of Lindsay Light and Chemical Co., also in Chicago. He died in 1945 in Los Angeles.
To support her husband's lifelong interest in science, Mrs. McCoy designated that the Herbert Newby McCoy annual award go to a Purdue student or faculty member making the greatest contribution of the year to the natural sciences.
Nominations are invited from all faculty members. The recipient is selected by faculty representatives from the natural sciences and is approved by the Office of Research and the President of the University.
The Herbert Newby McCoy Lecture has been established to honor the award winner and to present to the Purdue community the nature of the research and its contribution to the field of natural sciences. The McCoy Award is intended to honor a recent past achievement(s) of major scientific impact; the award is not a “lifetime achievement” award.
The Award
The Herbert Newby McCoy Award consists of a monetary prize of $4,000 plus an additional contribution of $7,000 to support the research of the recipient.
The recipient of the Herbert Newby McCoy Award is notified by the Office of Research.
Recipients
Nominations
Any student or faculty member who has made a recent major impact in the natural sciences is eligible for the award, regardless of college/school or departmental affiliation. The deadline for 2024 nominations is December 3, 2024.
