Petr Zuman, distinguished emeritus professor at Clarkson University, was recently recognized by students, collaborators, friends and colleagues with a Lake Placid symposium organized for his 90th birthday.

People from throughout the world gathered in Lake Placid earlier this summer to hear inspiring personal stories and celebrate Zuman’s significant influence on and contribution to science, their personal life, and Clarkson University.

Many students, colleagues and collaborators from the United States, Canada, Italy, Czech Republic and Turkey discussed their research in various organic, biochemical and electrochemical topics and shared how Zuman had influenced them both academically and personally.

For his outstanding contribution to the development of organic polarography the Czech Chemical Society awarded Zuman with its Czech Chemical Society Medal, one of the highest awards of the society, during the symposium.

In recognition of his significant contribution to the field of electroanalytical chemistry the department of chemistry and biomolecular science at Clarkson has established an endowed “Petr Zuman Award in Chemistry” to honor and celebrate Zuman’s accomplishments.

The meeting was organized by Jim Rusling, former Ph.D. student of Zuman and now a professor at the University of Connecticut, in collaboration with the department of chemistry and biomolecular science at Clarkson.

It was co-sponsored by the International Society of Electrochemistry and the Electrochemical Society, Organic and Biological Division.

Unfortunately Zuman himself was unable to attend the symposium, but he expressed his gratitude to all for coming and participating.

Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1926, Petr Zuman survived Nazi occupation of his homeland and after WWII he enrolled at Charles University in Prague. In 1950, he was awarded an RNDr., the equivalent of a Ph.D.

Zuman became one of the first researchers in the newly created Central Polarographic Institute of Prague and was rapidly promoted to head of the Organic Division of the Institute.

He was mentored by, and worked and studied under the direction of Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (1959) Jaroslav Heyrovsky.

In 1960, Zuman was awarded a doctor of science degree by the Czechoslovakia Academy of Sciences. After time at the University of Birmingham in England in the late 1960s, he immigrated to the U.S. in 1970 and joined Clarkson University’s Department of Chemistry.

Retiring in 1996, Zuman was appointed distinguished emeritus research professor. He continued to be active in the scientific community and the department of chemistry, still publishing, teaching and mentoring students.

Zuman’s primary research interest is in the field of organic electrochemistry, studying the mechanisms of organic reactions using polarographic, voltammetric and kinetic measurements that contribute to a better understanding of biological activity.

In addition to teaching and mentoring, Zuman has served on several editorial boards of professional journals.

He has published more than 450 research papers and review articles, and has authored 17 books. Several of his books were ground-breaking works connecting electrochemistry and physical organic chemistry.