USC chemistry professor Susan Richardson did not expect to win the state’s highest honor for scientific research when she opened her email in March.
In August, Richardson was awarded the 2026 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Scientific Research, or ESR, for her work in improving the safety of drinking water.
“I was shocked, honestly,” Richardson said. “It seems to go more often than not to medical research people, and so I was holding it completely with an open hand. I was shocked.”…