In 2017, the International Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (iCACGP) established the Paul J. Crutzen Award for Early Career Scientists as part of its 60th Anniversary celebrations. The 2026 winner will be presented with the award during a ceremony at the 2026 iCACGP-IGAC Joint Conference in Heraklion, Greece (6-11th September 2026).
After a selection process based on scientific excellence, productivity, breadth of scientific contribution, as reflected in the nomination and support letters, the scientific publications and their impact on the science community, the iCACGP Paul J. Crutzen Award for Early Career Scientists 2026, is granted to Xinke Wang in recognition of his contribution to the discovery of a new photochemical pathway of S(IV) oxidation and with great potential of future advancements at fundamental levels in atmospheric sciences.
Xinke Wang was nominated by Jianmin Chen and endorsed strongly by Barbara Finlayson-Pitts, Sergey Nizkorodov, and Jonathan Abbatt. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Lyon 1, France. Afterwards, he worked at the cutting edge of atmospheric science at the University of California, Irvine, CA, United States for 2 years and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada for another two years. After 4 years as a research scientist in the US and Canada, Xinke is now an Associate Professor at Fudan University, Shanghai, China since August 2025.
So far in his career, Xinke Wanghas shown creativity, determination, coupled to an impressive skillset, and the ability to take projects to a successful conclusion. These qualities have enabled him to develop excellent ideas for novel approaches to contemporary problems of scientific significance. Xinke Wang established a distinctive and highly promising research program in atmospheric heterogeneous chemistry by uncovering fundamental mechanisms governing the formation, transformation, and fate of pollutants across indoor and outdoor environments. He provided important new mechanistic insight into secondary pollution formation. His studies showed that photosensitized oxidation can drive sulfate formation during haze episodes, revealing a previously underappreciated pathway for atmospheric sulfate production. More recently, he demonstrated that environmentally persistent free radicals on black carbon can accelerate pollutant transformation while increasing toxicological risk, highlighting the environmental significance of reactive carbonaceous materials. His work is marked by originality, mechanistic depth, and broad significance for atmospheric science and environmental health.
Paul J. Crutzen, a Dutch atmospheric chemist, was a pivotal figure in understanding the Earth’s atmosphere, notably his groundbreaking work on ozone formation and decomposition. His research, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995, highlighted the impact of human activities on the environment and emphasized the urgent need for global action. The International Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (iCACGP) awards the “Paul J. Crutzen Award for Early Career Scientists” in recognition of his legacy. This prize honors outstanding research contributions by early-career scientists in atmospheric sciences, aiming to inspire and support the next generation of researchers in their pursuit of innovative solutions to environmental challenges. It serves as a reminder of Crutzen’s profound impact and encourages the continuation of his work in safeguarding our planet’s future.