Anna Krylov
Chemistry
Reason for Award
“For her pioneering contributions to theoretical and computational chemistry, particularly the development of novel electronic structure methods for open-shell and electronically excited species; for her leadership within the theoretical chemistry community; and for her advocacy of scientific integrity and academic freedom”
“Gamow was a scientist of audacious imagination who pushed the boundaries of theory—most notably by giving the first quantitative account of nuclear decay via quantum tunneling and introducing the modern language of metastable (decaying) states and resonances. Much of today’s work on electronically metastable species, including my own, builds on that foundation. The prize is meaningful to me not only for its scientific lineage but also for the spirit Gamow embodied — curiosity, clarity, and the joy of sharing ideas with broad audiences. I’m honored to carry that legacy forward in both research and public engagement,” notes Anna Krylov.
Biography
Anna I. Krylov is the USC Associates Chair in Natural Sciences and a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Southern California. Born and raised in the USSR (Donetsk, Ukraine), she earned an M.Sc. from Moscow State University and a Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Krylov’s research focuses on theoretical and computational quantum chemistry. She develops electronic-structure methods for open-shell and electronically excited species, including metastable states (resonances). Using these tools, her group investigates light–matter interactions with applications to spectroscopy, combustion, solar energy conversion, bioimaging, and quantum information science. She is the President of Q-Chem, Inc., one of the world’s leading quantum-chemistry software teams. Her work has been recognized by numerous honors, including the Barry Prize of the American Academy of Sciences and Letters, the Plyler Prize for Molecular Spectroscopy and many others. An outspoken advocate for academic freedom, Krylov is a founding member of the Academic Freedom Alliance and author of widely read essays on the politicization of science.