I have been an active member of SVACS since 1976. So… I provide significant corporate memory for the planning and completion of many SVACS activities. Howard and Sally Peters shared the 2016 Helen M. Free Award for outstanding public outreach from the national American Chemical Society (ACS). For over 20 years, the Peters have toured the United States sharing their signature presentation, “Chocolate — Food of the Gods,” which explores the history and chemistry of one of America’s favorite treats. They also have been scientist-author lecturers on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and on Princess Cruise ships. Other venues have included churches, science clubs, children’s museums, and schools. Through these activities, we have reached out to virtually every demographic, including underrepresented groups in science.
Biography
Howard Peters, Ph.D., earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, and his doctorate at Stanford University. He received his law degree while working full-time and studying all in night classes at Santa Clara University School of Law. As a chemist, he led research projects at Dow Chemical in Midland, MI, and at SRI International (formerly Stanford Research Institute) in Menlo Park on volatile anesthetics, organic fluorine compounds, herbicides, and high explosives. Following his career in the lab (becoming a co-inventor on seven U.S. patents and co-author of many publications and presentations), he was a patent attorney with Syntex Corp in Palo Alto and then in private patent law practice in Silicon Valley for more than 30 years. He has been an ACS member for more than 60 years, an ACS Fellow since 2010 and an elected member of the ACS Council for 35 years. He served as Director-at-Large on the Society’s national Board of Directors from 2005 to 2007 and was a candidate for President of ACS in 2007. He lost and retired from active patent law practice in 2007. ACS Service: SVACS Alternate Councilor (2021-2023), SVACS Science Fair Judge (2022 & 2023), ACS Committee on Patents and Related Matters (CPRM) 1976-Present, Co-founder (1983) & Member of The ACS Division of Chemistry and the Law.