Associate Laboratory Director for Neutron Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory Paul Langan was named a Fellow of the American Crystallographic Association (ACA). The ACA Fellows program recognizes a high level of excellence in scientific research, teaching, and professional duties, but also service, leadership, and personal engagement in the ACA and the broader world of crystallography and science. The Fellows program celebrates the excellence of ACA members, and promotes their recognition worldwide to constituencies outside of the ACA, such as their employers, other scientific societies, and the government. ACA Fellows serve as scientific ambassadors to the broader scientific community and the general public to advance science education, research, knowledge, interaction, and collaboration.
From the ACA: "At ORNL, Paul is planning to expand the instrument capabilities and to set up a second target station at the Spallation Neutron Source, with the aim of broadening the impact and accessibility of neutron diffraction techniques to scientists from different realms of science. This ambition has characterized Paul in most of his career; he has greatly contributed to establishing neutron macromolecular crystallography, applying it to the study of several proteins, optimizing the available instrumentation, and developing the relative data analysis software. He led several scientific projects funded by the NIH and the DOE to guide efforts for drugs developed against various diseases. He has also carried out extensive research on natural fibers, focusing in particular on the structural aspects of cellulose and on how to efficiently convert its biomass into fuel. The DOE awarded him six formal awards in recognition of his achievements.
Langan is a member of Faculty of 1000, co-editor of Acta Crystallographica Section D Biological Crystallography, and guest editor for Cellulose, where he also sits on the editorial board. Within the ACA, he has chaired the Neutron Special Interest Group in 2005 and the Fiber Diffraction Special Interest Group in 2009. He currently serves as chair of the IUCr Neutron Scattering Commission."
