Professor Maki Kawai was introduced as the new president of CSJ on May 23. She has received numerous awards in recognition of her research on chemical reactions at surfaces, including the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon from the Japanese government (2017), The IUPAC 2015 Distinguished Women in Chemistry / Chemical Engineering（2015）and the Chemical Society of Japan Award (2009). She has served in her current positions as Director General of the Institute for Molecular Science since 2016. Professor Kawai’s term will be from May of 2018 to May of 2020. She is the first female President in the 140 years of CSJ history.
CSJ news release, May 23, 2018
With Maki KAWAI the Chemical Society of Japan appoints the first woman president ever