John Fortner wins Ackerman Award
For an unwavering support of his students, and an ability to make even “notoriously difficult” Organic Chemistry accessible, Prof. John Fortner is the winner of the 2025 Ackerman Award for Teaching and Mentoring.
Made possible by a generous gift from SEAS alum Robert W. Ackerman ’60, this annual award, which includes a $5,000 cash prize, recognizes outstanding teaching and mentoring as evidenced by the faculty member’s impact on students.
Fortner, professor of chemical and environmental engineering, has been with Yale since 2019. He is widely recognized for developing novel water treatment and sensing technologies, along with fundamentally describing aqueous-based interfacial chemistries/processes. Fortner has published more than 100 papers and received numerous research and teaching awards at the highest levels. As a teacher, though, it’s his more personal traits—such as patience, empathy, and enthusiasm—that won his students’ praise.
Fortner said he’s “deeply honored” to receive the Ackerman Award.
“Teaching and mentoring are among the most meaningful aspects of my role as a faculty member,” Fortner said. “In both the classroom and the lab, I strive to create an environment that is highly supportive yet intellectually rigorous — one where students are encouraged to think critically and creatively, engage deeply with ideas and concepts, and feel unafraid to take risks or learn through failure (i.e., encourage resilience).”
Here are a few of the testimonies given by Forter’s students - undergraduates, Ph.D. students and alumni, among them - about what makes him such a inspiring mentor and teacher:
- Soon after I started at Yale, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred. It was a difficult time for everyone, and I had the luxury of my work continuing. What I remember most about John during this time was how incredibly supportive he was of his students and postdocs. He held regular zoom meetings still, offered to buy groceries and bring anything else students needed to their house. He went above and beyond as a mentor during that time, and has continued to do so for all of his students. John is the type of person and professor I aspire to be.
- Alessandro Zulli, Ph.D.
- I first met Professor Fortner during an academic fair during my first-year orientation. I explained to him how I wanted to study engineering, but I was afraid my rural public school education did not prepare me to tackle a rigorous Ivy League STEM curriculum. We quickly bonded over our similar small town upbringings, and he always made me feel like I was good enough to be an environmental engineer. As an anxious and self-conscious 18-year-old from rural West Virginia, his support meant the world to me.
- Alexandra Griffith '23, DVM/Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
- In the course I took with Dr. Fortner, he took the time and care to make sure his students, who came from diverse academic backgrounds, understood material that might otherwise appear inaccessible. Dr. Fortner's teaching, in fact, was one of the reasons why I decided to pursue a major in environmental engineering.
- Andrew Tan '25
- What I love about working with him the most is how much he cares about you, how he makes you feel cared for, and his incredible ability to motivate. Whether I am doing good at work or need to do better, he can communicate that to me in a way where I always leave our meetings feeling better and more motivated.
- Bugra Sahin, Ph.D. candidate
- During his time as DUS, he worked with a small group of students and me to help revamp the Undergraduate Environmental Engineering Club, and in my time working with the club, he gave his undying support in growing the community within the Environmental Engineering department and was very supportive of students trying new things and starting new projects. He always had a kind word to support them through their endeavors and was the first person to reach out to ask if I needed letters of recommendation for graduate school.
- Anna Oehlerking '25
For his part, Fortner said he tries to balance clarity, perspective, and human connection and community as he and his students explore, apply, and develop fundamental engineering and scientific principles to address complex, real-world environmental challenges.
“It’s truly a privilege to work with such thoughtful and motivated students here at Yale — even in a world full of uncertainty, they continue to inspire hope for a better tomorrow,” he said. “I’m proud and very grateful to be part of a community that so fully values teaching and mentorship.”
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Published Date
May 7, 2025
