Stony Brook chemist receives namesake innovation award
Esther Sans Takeuchi received a surprise namesake honor at the Electrochemical Society’s 250th meeting in Calgary, Canada, TBR News Media reported. The society established the Esther Sans Takeuchi Innovation Award to recognize individuals who make substantial and sustained impacts on electrochemistry, particularly in energy and environmental technologies.
Takeuchi holds the William and Jane Knapp Chair in Energy and the Environment at Stony Brook University and serves as chief scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory. She previously served as president of the Electrochemical Society from 2011 to 2012.
“I’ve been privileged to receive awards, but what’s special about this award is that it’s named after me and leaves a legacy,” Takeuchi told TBR News Media.
Picket fence of patents protects medical device batteries
Takeuchi holds more than 150 patents and earned induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. In 2008, she received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation for her work on the battery powering implantable cardiac defibrillators.
That work began at Wilson Greatbatch Ltd. in Clarence, near Buffalo, where the small team competed against billion-dollar medical device makers. Her husband, Kenneth Takeuchi, suggested a patent strategy to protect their inventions.
“He said you should patent not only what you think you’re going to use in the product, but put up what’s called a picket fence,” she told TBR News Media. That strategy involved patenting surrounding ideas to prevent competitors from designing around the core technology.
“He said, 'We have a surprise for you,'” Takeuchi, a Stony Brook University distinguished professor, said.
Mentoring future scientists at Stony Brook University
Takeuchi’s parents fled Latvia during World War II with little more than two suitcases, eventually settling in the United States after living in German displaced persons camps. Her father worked as an electrical engineer, instilling a belief in the enduring value of education.
Through the Institute of Sustainability, Electrification and Energy at Stony Brook, Takeuchi guides 16 doctoral candidates alongside her husband and longtime collaborator, Amy Marschilok. Marschilok has worked alongside Takeuchi since 2007.
“The students are motivated by the opportunity to make a difference and to make the world a better place,” Takeuchi told TBR News Media.
Frequently asked questions about the new electrochemistry honor
When do nominations open for the Takeuchi Innovation Award?
Nominations for the first award open March 15, 2027, according to TBR News Media.
Who is eligible for the new Electrochemical Society honor?
This accolade honors professionals whose enduring and significant contributions to electrochemistry focus heavily on environmental and energy applications.
Where does Esther Sans Takeuchi currently work?
Takeuchi holds the William and Jane Knapp Chair in Energy and the Environment at Stony Brook University and serves as chief scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory.
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