DETROIT- James Rigby, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Chemistry at Wayne State University and resident of Farmington Hills, was named to the American Chemical Society's 2010 class of Fellows, an honor bestowed upon distinguished scientists who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in chemistry.

Nominated for his exceptional contributions as a scientist and educator, Rigby has had significant scientific accomplishments in organic chemistry. His current research focuses on a variety of problems directed toward the total synthesis of pharmacologically active natural products. Through discoveries made in Rigby's lab, he and a team of researchers have created new molecules and are developing novel and powerful methods that will one day aid researchers in the pharmaceutical industry to make complex drug candidates more quickly and efficiently than otherwise would be possible.

"Dr. Rigby's leadership in the field of chemistry has helped build an outstanding chemistry department at Wayne State, and has contributed to the excellence of other scientists and scientific organizations throughout the nation," said Hilary Ratner, vice president for research at Wayne State. "Because of his accomplishments as a scientist and educator, he is most deserving of this prestigious recognition."

Rigby has been a professor at Wayne State since 1981. He received his B.S. in chemistry with high honors from Case Western Reserve University and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Wayne State University is one of the nation's pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world. For more information about research at Wayne State University, visit http://www.research.wayne.edu.