Frances Arnold Keynote Speaker

Frances Arnold is one of the most accomplished and renowned scientists in the world. She has won numerous awards, including the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, for her groundbreaking biochemistry and enzyme engineering work. She is a highly sought-after speaker who frequently shares her insights on the role of science in society with global audiences. 

Frances has served on President Joe Biden’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology as an external co-chair since 2021, assisting Biden’s transformation team in identifying scientists for administration positions. Since 2017, Frances has served at the California Institute of Technology as the Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry. Since 2016 and 2013, she has been the director of Illumina, manufacturing and selling integrated technologies for studying genetic differences and helping farmers protect their crops without harmful pesticides as the director, co-founder and science advisor of Provivi. Frances is the former co-founder of Gevo, serving as a director and science advisor. She held science advisory positions with several other organisations, including, Genomatica, Mascoma, Arzeda, Codexism, Amyris Biotechnologies and Maxygen. 

Frances made a guest appearance in the 12th season episode “The Laureate Accumulation” of The Big Theory and in the NOVA show Beyond the Elements: Life, where she gave a brief interview.

In 2018, Frances was awarded the Nobel prize for services to chemistry and was awarded membership to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in 2019 by Pope Francis. She is a Foreign Fellow of the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering and elected fellow of several American institutes such as the American Philosophical Society, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Academy of Microbiology and American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. She holds Honorary Doctorates from the Technical University of Denmark (2019), Dartmouth College (2017), ETH Zurich (2015), University of Chicago (2016) and Stockholm University (2013). In 2014 Frances was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and awarded the Charles Stark Draper Prize by the U.S National Academy of Engineering.

Frances holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of California and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Frances has presented at many speaking conferences including TEDx. She is a passionate advocate for science education, and she frequently speaks to students about how they can pursue careers in science. Her innate ability to connect with audiences, simplify complex scientific concepts and discuss world topics ranging from science to leadership and creativity have made her one of the most sought-after speakers in the industry.