Supawan Tantayanon

Professor Supawan Tantayanon is one of Thailand’s most influential chemists, internationally recognized for her pioneering contributions to green chemistry, chemical safety and security, and sustainable chemistry education. Over the past several decades, she has combined visionary academic leadership with innovative practices that have strengthened scientific education, enhanced laboratory safety, and advanced sustainable development across the Asia–Pacific region.
At Chulalongkorn University, Professor Tantayanon has played a central role in shaping the future of chemical education. She found four major academic programs that continue to produce leaders in academia and industry: the MSc Program in Petrochemistry and Polymer Science (1985), the International BSc Program in Applied Chemistry (2005), the MSc/PhD Programs in Technopreneurship and Innovation Management (2007), and the MSc/PhD Programs in Green Chemistry and Sustainability (2021). She also served as the Founding Director of the Petroleum and Petrochemical College (1987-1989) and later as Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs (2003–2007), contributing significantly to Thailand’s advancement in science and technology education.
Her early experiences as a consultant to petrochemical companies sharpened her awareness of chemical risks to human health and the environment. This led to her groundbreaking work in small-scale chemistry, beginning in 2000, to reduce chemical exposure in university laboratories. Her development of the Small-Lab Kit, supported by four Thai patents, revolutionized teaching laboratory practices by making experimentation safer, more accessible, and more environmentally responsible. Her publications—including a Thai textbook on safe organic laboratory practices and her UNESCO-commissioned book Small Scale Laboratory: Organic Chemistry at the University Level (2009)—have been widely used by educators around the world.
Professor Tantayanon also played a decisive role in establishing a formal chemical safety culture at Chulalongkorn University. She initiated the first Chemical Safety Program within the Department of Chemistry, which later expanded into a mandatory university-wide training requirement for all undergraduate and graduate science students before entering research laboratories. Her leadership laid the foundation for the establishment of the Center for Safety, Health, and Environment of Chulalongkorn University in 2016, which now oversees institutional safety and environmental health. She currently serves as an advisor to the Center.
A strong advocate for sustainable chemistry, Professor Tantayanon served as Coordinator of the Green Chemistry Institute (Thailand Chapter), American Chemical Society from 2002 to 2010. She promoted the integration of sustainability principles into chemical education and practice, translated the influential textbook Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice into Thai, and co-authored the global reference Chemical Laboratory Safety and Security: A Guide to Developing Standard Operating Procedures (National Academies Press, 2016). Through workshops, capacity-building programs, and strong national advocacy, she has positioned Thailand as a regional leader in green chemistry.
Her international presence is equally distinguished. She has delivered over 74 invited lectures, including 16 keynote and six plenary presentations at major conferences in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Her plenary lectures at the Philippine Chemistry Congress (2010), Simposio Miicroquim (Mexico, 2010 and 2015), the Chemical Society of Japan’s 70th Anniversary Symposium (2013), Pure and Applied Chemistry International Conference (Thailand, 2017) and the IUPAC International Conference on Green Chemistry (Greece, 2022) and The 20th Asian Chemical Congress (Thailand, 2025) highlight her standing as a global scientific communicator.
Professor Tantayanon has held numerous national leadership roles, including the founding and the first President of the Polymer Society of Thailand, the first woman President of the Chemical Society of Thailand, the Executive Board Member of the National Hazardous Chemical Committee, The first woman President of the Council of Science and Technology Professionals, and President of the Science Society of Thailand under Royal Patronage. Regionally and internationally, she became the first woman President of both the Pacific Polymer Federation and the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies (FACS) and served as Executive Board Member and Treasurer of the Association of Academies and Societies of Science in Asia (AASSA). She is currently a member (2022–2025) and Chair-Elect (2026) of the Advisory Board on Education and Outreach (ABEO) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and Chair of the AASSA Women in Science and Engineering Committee (2022–2024).
Her contributions to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) are exceptional. Since 2009, she has served as National Representative to several divisions, a member of the Committee on Chemistry Education, and a member of the Interdivisional Committee on Green Chemistry for Sustainability. As Titular Member (2022–2025) and former Secretary of the Committee on Ethics, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (CEDEI), she helped shape global standards for ethical and responsible practice in chemistry. She chaired major IUPAC conferences—including MACRO 2014, the 8th International Conference on Green Chemistry (2018), and the 27th International Conference on Chemistry Education (2024)—and led capacity-building programs and global surveys to advance sustainable chemistry education. Since 2011, she has also coordinated Thailand’s Global Women Breakfast, making Thailand one of the most active contributors to IUPAC’s gender equality efforts. In July 2025, IUPAC launched the Guiding Principles of Responsible Chemistry, a CEDEI project for which she served as principal author of Principle No. 2: Chemical Safety, Security, and Sustainability, further reinforcing global standards for responsible chemical stewardship. She will continue her leadership as an incoming IUPAC Executive Board Member for 2026–2027.
A dedicated educator, Professor Tantayanon has conducted more than 150 workshops across Asia and beyond—including in Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Mexico, Kuwait, Russia, Taiwan, and the United States—mobilizing teachers and students to adopt safer and more sustainable laboratory practices. Her capacity-building initiatives have had lasting impact on chemical education in developing regions.
Her work has been honored by prestigious awards such as the Honorary Fellow Award (SNIC, 2013), the Leading Women Chemist of the World Award (ACS, 2014), the International Microscale Chemistry Award (2015), Distinguished Contributions to Chemical Education Awards from CST (2016), FACS (2017), and IUPAC (2018), the IUPAC Distinguished Women in Chemistry Award (2021), and numerous national awards for excellence, service, and scientific leadership, including the Outstanding Teacher of Thailand for Social Services of the Year 2023 from The University Teachers Council of Thailand. These recognitions affirm her enduring influence on global chemical education, sustainability, and scientific advancement.
Today, Professor Supawan Tantayanon continues to champion the advancement of green chemistry, chemical safety and security, and sustainable education. Her vision is to inspire the next generation through safe, engaging, hands-on science and to support the global chemical community in building a safer, more sustainable, and more inclusive future.