When Russia launched Sputnik into orbit in October 1957, it wasn't simply the first man-made satellite to circle the earth. That landmark event also inspired a new generation of scientists.

Although he attended elementary school at the time, F. Fleming Crim remembers the launch vividly, as well as its profound effect on the scientific world. "Suddenly, doing science was not only useful, but virtuous. A lot of people who had a proclivity for science were encouraged to enter the field. There was a lot of money out there for science. I was just interested in how things worked."

He still is. In fact, the majority of his research for the past 20 years has focused on the most basic elements of chemistry and physics. Crim is presently the John E. Willard Professor and the Hilldale Professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. His current work aims to understand chemical reactions in fundamental detail by using lasers to change the way molecules react.

"The real virtue is to understand how reactions happen," he says. "Some of our work connects to other forms of research such as atmospheric chemistry, which examines ozone depletion, and combustion research."

Crim was recently honored for his contributions by election to the National Academy of Sciences, an organization originally chartered by Abraham Lincoln that advises the government on scientific issues. The prestigious honor was given to just six chemists in the country this year. "It is the nicest thing that can happen to you as a scientist. The day I got the news was the best day of my professional life. The academy does very influential work, so to have a voice in these things is exciting."

In 1998, the former Southwestern University Citation of Merit recipient was awarded the Earle K. Plyler Prize for Molecular Spectroscopy by the American Physical Society. Later that year he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Beyond garnering high praise for his research, Crim earned the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching at Wisconsin in 1991 and the Upjohn Award for Teaching from the Department of Chemistry in 1992. He credits many of his old professors like Robert Soulen, professor emeritus of chemistry, and Bob Brown, former professor of physics, for helping him become a better teacher.

"Southwestern gave me a view of science that was extremely useful. I went to graduate school having received very sound teaching in my field as well as having done research the helped prepare me."

Crim grew up in Waco and enrolled at Southwestern in 1965. In a first-year religion class, he met his future spouse Joyce. En route to his degree in chemistry, he served as program chair and president of the student union while also being active in the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

He went on to earn his Ph.D. in chemistry from Cornell University in 1974, then spent the next few years as a staff member at Western Electric Company and as a post-doctoral researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory before joining the Department of Chemistry at Wisconsin in 1977.

He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society and the American Chemical Society, where he serves on the Committee on Professional Training and the Graduate Education Advisory Board. As a member of the training committee, he helps certify chemistry programs all over the country, often including small, liberal arts institutions.

"While I've been teaching my entire career at a large research institution, my experiences at Southwestern have made me value those smaller universities. A liberal arts college offers a broad education that has served me well. It made me better able to teach those students who aren't chemists. I have other interests I can share with them in order to make a connection."