Javier Read de Alaniz, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemisty at UC Santa Barbara, has received the 2015-16 Harold J. Plous Award.  Presented by the College of Letters and Science, the Plous award is one of the university's most prestigious faculty honors. It is given annually to an assistant professor in the humanities, social sciences or natural sciences for exceptional achievement in research, teaching, and service to the university. The award was established in 1957 to honor the memory of Harold J. Plous, an assistant professor of economics. Read de Alaniz will showcase his research when he delivers the annual Plous Lecture next spring.