The Norman Sheppard Award

Norman Sheppard awardThe IRDG Norman Sheppard Award was initiated in 2012 on the occasion of the 200th meeting of the Infrared and Raman Discussion Group and is awarded annually in the field of vibrational spectroscopy.

Professor Sheppard FRS had a distinguished academic career using vibrational spectroscopy to study molecular structure and dynamics particularly focussing on the identification of surface intermediates on catalysis surfaces. He started his career at Cambridge University until he moved, in 1964, to the newly established University of East Anglia. He attended the first IRDG meeting which was held at the Royal Technical College, Glasgow on 20th January 1950 and was a regular attendee and contributor at meetings, including the 200th meeting in 2012. Norman Sheppard passed away, aged 93, on the 10th April 2015 and an obituary was published in the Guardian newspaper.

The Norman Sheppard Award for Vibrational Spectroscopy is usually presented to the recipient at the Christmas meeting of the IRDG. Refer to details for nomination etc here.

Norman Sheppard Award Recipients

  • 2024: Sergei Kazarian
  • 2023: Geoffrey Dent
  • 2022: Professor Bernhard Lendl (first international recipient)
  • 2021: Professor Stewart F Parker
  • 2020: Professor Mike George
  • 2019: Professor Howell Edwards
  • 2018: John M Chalmers
  • 2017: Professor Bill George
  • 2016: Professor Jack Yarwood
  • 2015: Professor Pat Hendra
  • 2014: Professor W. Ewen Smith FRSE
  • 2012: Professor Norman Sheppard FRS (inaugural award)

There are pictures of some of the recipients below:

2012 Norman Sheppard
2012 (Inaugural) Award: Professor Norman Sheppard

2014 Professor Ewen Smith
2014 Award: Professor Ewen Smith

2015 Professor Pat Hendra
2015 Award: Professor Pat Hendra

2016 Professor Jack Yarwood
2016 Award: Professor Jack Yarwood

2017 Professor Bill George
2017 Award: Professor Bill George

2018 John M Chalmers
2018 Award: John M Chalmers

2019 Professor Howell Edwards
2019 Award: Ian Lewis receives the award on behalf of Professor Howell Edwards

2020 Professor Mike George
2020 Award: Professor Mike George. Here receiving a present on retiring from the IRDG Committee 2017

2022 Prof Bernhard Lendl
2022 Award: Professor Bernhard Lendl (first international recipient)

2023 Geoffrey Dent
2023 Award: Geoffrey Dent, presented by Prof. Faulds at IRDG 230


2024 Sergei Kazarian
2025 Award: Sergei Kazarian