The Department of Chemistry at St. John’s University hosted the 2025 William H. Nichols Distinguished Symposium and Medal Presentation during the spring semester on its Queens, NY campus. This event was presented by the New York Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The Nichols Medal is recognized as one of the most prestigious awards in chemistry, with past recipients having earned a total of 20 Nobel Prizes and 33 National Medals of Science.

Benjamin F. Cravatt, Ph.D., who serves as Professor and Norton B. Gilula Chair in Biology and Chemistry at Scripps Research, was named the 2025 Nichols Medalist. He delivered a keynote address titled “Activity-Based Protein Profiling—Target and Ligand Discovery on a Global Scale.” The symposium centered around the theme “Advancing Biology Through Innovations in Chemistry,” featuring contributions from notable researchers such as Stavroula Hatzios, Ph.D., from Yale University; Tom W. Muir, Ph.D., from Princeton University; and Damian Young, Ph.D., from Baylor College of Medicine.

Alison G. Hyslop, Ph.D., Associate Dean and Professor of Chemistry at St. John’s University remarked on the significance of the event: “This was a unique and valuable opportunity for our students and faculty to engage directly with world-renowned scientists and their groundbreaking research.” She highlighted that "a hallmark of the symposium is its student-centered approach," which encourages interaction between speakers and students for mentorship opportunities.

In acknowledgment of its role as host, St. John’s University received a Salute to Excellence Award from the New York Section of ACS. Elise G. Megehee, Ph.D., Chair and Associate Professor at St. John’s Department of Chemistry accepted this award from Eric Chang, Ph.D., Chair of New York Section ACS.