ECS Sets $50,000 Prize for New Takeuchi Award in Electrochemistry

The Electrochemical Society established the Esther Sans Takeuchi Innovation Award during its 250th annual meeting held in Calgary, Canada. The organization will use the new prize to recognize researchers who have produced lasting effects in the field of electrochemistry. The award specifically targets deployed technologies that serve energy and environmental needs.

Esther Sans Takeuchi served as the society president from 2011 to 2012. She has maintained membership since 1985. The society cited her career as a model for translating scientific discovery into practical inventions. Takeuchi holds the title of Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering and Chemistry at Stony Brook University. She also worked as a chief scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory and in the private sector.

Takeuchi has concentrated her research on electrochemical energy storage for decades. Her work covers batteries for medical devices and systems for larger-scale storage. She designs new battery materials and studies the fundamental reactions, ion transport, and structural changes that determine battery function. This knowledge guides the development of batteries with higher energy density, longer lifetimes, and improved safety.

The researcher holds more than 150 patents. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2008, she received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. That honor recognized her work at Greatbatch Inc., where she helped develop the battery system for implantable cardiac defibrillators.

Takeuchi is currently the chair of the Energy and Photon Sciences Directorate at Brookhaven National Laboratory. She serves as co-director of the Institute of Sustainability, Electrification and Energy at Stony Brook. She also holds the William and Jane Knapp Chair of Energy and the Environment at the university and founded the Center for Mesoscale Transport Properties, an Energy Frontier Research Center.

Anatoly Frenkel, chair of the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering at Stony Brook, described the new honor. He stated that the award reflects the high level of excellence Takeuchi has set for her field. Frenkel noted that the department is proud to have her as a colleague.

Takeuchi expressed gratitude for the new legacy award. She credited her husband, Kenneth Takeuchi, and collaborator Amy Marschilok for their deep scientific understanding and selfless contributions. She hopes the award will inspire others to pursue research with meaningful and positive impact.

The society says the award will celebrate sustained innovation that bridges fundamental science and applied devices. Eligible contributions include energy storage and conversion, sensors, materials, corrosion and coatings, and electronics. A dedicated webpage will appear on the ECS website to detail eligibility criteria, the nomination process, and the prize amount.

Nominations for the inaugural award will open on March 15, 2027.