October 7, 2020 4 min read

This story originally appeared on México Desconocido

Through its Twitter account, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) regretted and reported that Mario Molina, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, died.

The National Autonomous University of Mexico reports the unfortunate death of Dr. Mario Molina, a distinguished university student, 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

– UNAM (@UNAM_MX) October 7, 2020

The Mario Molina Center issued a statement informing of his death in Mexico City:

It is with deep pain that we communicate the death of Dr. José Mario Molina Pasquel Henríquez, which occurred today in Mexico City.

Dr. Mario Molina starts out being an exemplary Mexican who dedicated his life to researching and working in favor of protecting our environment. It will always be remembered with pride and gratitude.

The farewell samples of the university and scientific community have not been long in coming before the sensitive death of one of the most notable Mexicans in recent times.

“Scientists can pose problems that will affect the environment, but their solution is the responsibility of the whole of society,” said Dr. Mario Molina, university scientist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995, who sadly died today. pic.twitter.com/vvE68MJfuM

– CulturaUNAM (@CulturaUNAM) October 7, 2020

A great one passed away. Mario Molina. Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He dedicated his life for scientific knowledge to help improve the environment and natural resources of the planet and of our City. Our affection to their families, students and friends.

– Claudia Sheinbaum (@Claudiashein) October 7, 2020

Who was Dr. Mario Molina?

Dr. Mario Molina was one of the most notable Mexican scientists of all time. Among his greatest merits is having been recognized for having obtained the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995. A couple of months ago, after having participated in a scientific study, he came out in favor of the use of face masks to prevent the spread of the virus that afflicts the world.

José Mario Molina-Pasquel y Henríquez was born in Mexico City in 1943 and died on October 7, 2020. From a young age he showed interest in science and this led him to study chemical engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico .

In 1965, Mario Molina graduated and continued his postgraduate studies at the University of Freiburg, Germany. Some years later, in 1972, he received a Ph.D. in Physicochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, United States.

Regarding his work as a teacher, Dr. Mario Molina was a professor and researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) between 1967 and 1968.

Years later, from 1975 to 1979, he also worked as a professor and researcher at the University of California . From 1982 to 1989 he worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology (CALTECH). Noteworthy is his notable work as a teacher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from 1989 to 2004.

Currently Mario Molina was working as a researcher at the University of California at San Diego. He was part of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the SCRIPPS Institute of Oceanography. In this institute the various phenomena associated with Climate Change are investigated. At the same time in Mexico, he was president since 2005 of the Mario Molina Center, where studies on energy and the environment are carried out focused on air quality and climate change.