Paul Wagenknecht ’86 calls his Jim Smart Award win ‘my Nobel Prize’

Furman University Professor of Chemistry Paul Wagenknecht ’86 received the 2026 Jim Smart Award at a reception on March 26 in the Daniel Chapel Garden Room.

The annual award is presented by the Cothran Center to celebrate the legacy of Jim Smart, who taught history at Furman from 1967 to 1995. It is awarded to honorees who help students add depth and meaning to their life decisions, encourage them to consider their values and provide a hospitable environment for their growth and exploration.

For Wagenknecht, it seemed funny to get an award for having fun and meaningful conversations with his students. But it’s an honor he takes seriously.

“This is the most meaningful recognition I could have received in my career,” he said. “This is my Nobel Prize.”

Professors share infectious passions with their students

Cothran Center Faculty Director John Harris, right, presents the 2026 Jim Smart Award to chemistry professor Paul Wagenknecht ’86. Photo by Owen Withycombe, Furman University.

Lizzie McCallum ’26 wasn’t sure she wanted to take a class with Wagenknecht when she first came to Furman. She had heard he was a tough grader, but it was through his classes that she found her love for chemistry.

He showed her that “the exceptions to the rules are where the true nuance of chemistry lies,” she said. “From that moment on, chemistry automatically became more fascinating.”

Now a chemistry and classics double major, McCallum is an inorganic chemistry research assistant for Wagenknecht. In her time working in his classes and lab, she’s seen his efforts ensuring students have the resources they need to succeed, talking them through difficult decisions and connecting with them on a personal level.

Chemistry major Samantha Walter ’26 said Wagenknecht went beyond impacting how students think as scientists and communicators – he made research fun within a joyful lab environment that made her “genuinely excited to enter every morning.”

“Dr. Wag fosters community while helping students produce excellent results, he builds camaraderie without sacrificing the science,” Walter said, “and he truly taught me how to have fun while doing hard work.”

Chemistry student Lizzie McCallum ’26 shares her remarks alongside Samantha Walter ’26 at an award reception for professor Paul Wagenknecht ’86. Photo by Owen Withycombe, Furman University.

Seeing the dedication his students bring to their research reminds Wagenknecht of why he came to Furman in the first place: the culture of undergraduate research.

“It’s incredibly rewarding for me to see what they are capable of,” he said. “But 30 years doing this has also taught me that the best part is the relationships that are formed, and what we learn from those relationships.”

When he was a student at Furman, his mentor was chemistry professor Noel Kane-Maguire; it’s a friendship that’s lasted four decades.

“Likewise, I look forward to staying in touch with my students for decades to come,” Wagenknecht said.

In his time at Furman, Wagenknecht has won several other awards and honors, including the Council on Undergraduate Research ChemCUR Outstanding Mentorship Award (2022), the South Carolina Governor’s Award for Excellence in Scientific Research (2020) and the Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2003).