The Woodward-Hoffmann rules were developed to predict the orientation of molecules in certain reactions between organic compounds. They were developed in a series of papers published by Robert Burns Woodward and Roald Hoffmann at Harvard in 1965. In 1981, two years after Woodward’s death, Hoffmann received a Nobel Prize for the Woodward-Hoffmann Rules.

Prof. Bruce Ganem recieved the Esselen Award for his research and Prof. William Dichtel was awarded the Cottrell Scholar Award for his research and commitment to furthering education.