George W. Thorn Award: Gary A. Baker, PhD '02, of Knoxville, Tenn.

Gary Baker, one of 12 to be awarded the 2009 Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, is a leader in the synthesis and application of environmentally benign solvents, including supercritical fluids and ionic liquids, a new type of solvent composed entirely of ions.

A scientist with the Nanomaterials Chemistry group of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory since 2005, Baker has exhibited the rare ability to make outstanding contributions to numerous unrelated disciplines at the same time.

His accomplishments include the invention of an innovative, yet simple, method for producing frozen ionic liquid functional nanoparticles in variable sizes; the co-development of improved approaches for measuring properties of ionic liquids that are otherwise difficult to obtain; and the development of sensing methodologies with potential applications ranging from clinical glucose assays to biomass process monitoring.

His design and synthesis of a series of bio-designer ionic liquids are expected to play a significant role in biomass processes, including the breakdown of cellulose into sugars for the production of ethanol.

The relatively new field of ionic liquids also has potential applications to emerging energy technologies, including solar cells, lithium batteries and fuel cells.

Baker is the only individual to have received both the Frederick Reimes Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship while at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Eugene P. Wigner Fellowship.

His work, recognized internationally and nationally, has resulted in five of his papers being featured on scientific journal covers.