DR. WILLIAM A. LESTER, JR. INDUCTED INTO THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TOP PROFESSIONALS (IAOTP) HALL OF FAME

  UNITED STATES, CALIFORNIA - 04/14/2020 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

Dr. William Alexander Lester, Jr, Chemist & Educator for University of California, Berkeley was recently inducted into the exclusive Hall of Fame for 2020 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP).

Inclusion with the International Association of Top Professionals is an honor in itself, only 10 IAOTP members are inducted into the exclusive Hall of Fame. These special honorees are distinguished based on their longevity in their fields, their contributions they have made to society and the impact they had on their industries. 

Dr. Lester is being recognized for this honor for dedicating close to 6 decades of his life as a Chemist and Educator. He was honored at IAOTP’s 2019 Annual Awards Gala which was held at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award. IAOTP is thrilled to be able to recognize Dr. Lester for his success and proficiency. He will be honored for this distinction at the end of this year on stage at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. 

In addition to working as a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at UC, Berkeley, Dr. Lester’s other notable positions have included: Physical Chemist with the National Bureau of Standards in Washington DC; Staff Scientist and Manager, IBM San Jose Research Laboratory; Director of the National Resource for Computation in Chemistry and concurrently an Associate Director at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL); Associate Dean for the College of Chemistry at UC Berkeley while Professor of Chemistry at UC Berkeley, Dr. Lester was also a Faculty Senior Scientist at LBNL. 

Dr. Lester received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemistry from the University of Chicago, and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from The Catholic University of America in 1964.  The President of IAOTP, Stephanie Cirami stated that “Choosing Dr. Lester for this honor was an effortless decision for our panel to make. Dr. Lester is insightful about chemistry and enthusiastic in all of his professional endeavors. His genuine love of learning and educating others are what make him beyond extraordinary. We are grateful to bestow this award on him and feel it is well deserved.”

Throughout his remarkable career, Dr. Lester has remained active in his community and was recognized worldwide for his outstanding leadership and commitment in the fields of chemistry and higher education. He has received many awards, accolades and has been featured in numerous publications multiple years in a row such as Marquis Who’s Who, Who’s Who in Science and Engineering, Who’s Who in the West, and Who’s Who in the World. For 2020 he will be considered for an Interview on T.I.P. Radio. In 2019 Dr. Lester was featured in TIP (Top Industry Professionals) Magazine and was selected for the Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP).  In 2018 he was named as Top Chemist Educator of the Year by IAOTP. In 1996 he was the recipient of an Outstanding Service Award by the National Science Foundation. In 1986 he was the recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award by the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers. In 1983, the Catholic University of America honored him with the Alumni Award in Science and in 1979 he received the Percy L. Julian Award by the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers.  

Aside from his successful career as a Professor, Dr. Lester is also a sought-after lecturer, speaker, published author and contributor to over 200 papers in professional journals. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society, the American Chemical Society, the California Academy of Sciences and is a member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science. 

Looking back, Dr. Lester attributes his success to his experience, education, mentors he has had along the way and staying passionate in all his endeavors.  Dr. Lester says he has been blessed; he loves doing what he is doing. When he is not working Dr. Lester enjoys traveling, reading and the arts. For the future Dr. Lester hopes to continue to make a positive difference in people’s lives anyway that he can. 

For more information on Dr. Lester please visit: https://chemistry.berkeley.edu/faculty/chem/lester

Watch his video:

About IAOTP

The International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) is an international boutique networking organization who handpicks the world’s finest, most prestigious top professionals from different industries.  These top professionals are given an opportunity to collaborate, share their ideas, be keynote speakers and to help influence others in their fields. This organization is not a membership that anyone can join.  You have to be asked by the President or be nominated by a distinguished honorary member after a brief interview. 

IAOTP's experts have given thousands of top prestigious professionals around the world, the recognition and credibility that they deserve and have helped in building their branding empires.  IAOTP prides itself to be a one of a kind boutique networking organization that hand picks only the best of the best and creates a networking platform that connects and brings these top professionals to one place.

For More information of IAOTP please visit www.iaotp.com