Michelle Francl

{{short description|American chemist}}

{{infobox scientist|known_for=work in computational chemistry|workplaces=Bryn Mawr College|awards=Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award}}

Michelle M. Francl is an American chemist. Francl is a professor of chemistry, and has taught physical chemistry, general chemistry and mathematical modeling at Bryn Mawr College since 1986.{{cite news|last1=Guarino|first1=Ben|last2=Rosenberg|first2=Eli|title=California ordered to add cancer warning to coffee, but the science doesn't hold up|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/california-ordered-to-add-cancer-warning-to-coffee-but-the-science-doesnt-hold-up/2018/03/30/193ca9e8-345e-11e8-8abc-22a366b72f2d_story.html|newspaper=Washington Post|date=30 March 2018}}

Francl is noted for developing new methodology in computational chemistry, including the 6-31G* basis set for Na to Ar and electrostatic potential charges.

She received a Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine in 1983.

On a list of the 1000 most cited chemists,{{cite web|url=http://pcb4122.univ-lemans.fr/1000chimistes.html|archiveurl=https://archive.today/19980214055403/http://pcb4122.univ-lemans.fr/1000chimistes.html|url-status=dead|title=1000 Most Cited Chemists 1981-1997|date=14 February 1998|archivedate=14 February 1998|website=univ-lemans.fr}} Francl is a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling, active in the American Chemical Society and the author of The Survival Guide for Physical Chemistry. In 1994, she was awarded the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award by Bryn Mawr College for excellence in teaching.{{Cite web |url=http://www.brynmawr.edu/chemistry/mfrancl/CVFrancl2004.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2009-07-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614222644/http://www.brynmawr.edu/chemistry/mfrancl/CVFrancl2004.pdf |archive-date=2011-06-14 |url-status=dead }}

Francl's podcast, "Introduction to Quantum Mechanics," broke into the iTunes Top 100 in October 2005.{{cite web|url=http://www.brynmawr.edu/news/2005-11-10/podcast.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071106065153/http://www.brynmawr.edu/news/2005-11-10/podcast.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 November 2007|title=Bryn Mawr Now: Bryn Mawr Chemistry Podcast Cracks iTunes Top 100|date=6 November 2007}} She also currently writes for Nature Chemistry.{{cite journal|last1=Francl|first1=Michelle|title=Table manners|journal=Nature Chemistry|date=1 May 2009|volume=1|issue=2|pages=97–98|doi=10.1038/NCHEM.183|pmid=21378810|bibcode=2009NatCh...1...97F}}{{cite journal|last1=Francl|first1=Michelle|title=Atomic women|journal=Nature Chemistry|date=22 March 2018|volume=10|issue=4|pages=373–375|doi=10.1038/S41557-018-0038-3|pmid=29568054|bibcode=2018NatCh..10..373F|s2cid=7907995}}

In April 2016, Francl was named one of nine adjunct scholars of the Vatican Observatory also known as (Italian: Specola Vaticana).

Francl was awarded the 2019 American Chemical Society's Philadelphia Section Award which recognizes an individual, "who, by conspicuous scientific achievement through research, has made important contributions to man's knowledge and thereby aided the public appreciation of the profession."{{Cite web|url=https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/funding-and-awards/awards/acs-local-section-awards/philadelphia-local-section/philadelphia-section-award.html|title=Philadelphia Section Award|website=American Chemical Society|language=en|access-date=2019-07-11}}

In 2024, Francl's suggestion that adding a pinch of salt could mitigate bitterness in tea caused strong reactions in the United Kingdom, including one from the United States Embassy in London.{{Cite news |last=Mather |first=Victor |date=January 24, 2024 |title=The Biggest British-American Tea Kerfuffle Since ... Well, You Know |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/24/world/europe/perfect-tea-us-uk.html |work=The New York Times}}{{Cite news |last=Frayer |first=Lauren |date=January 25, 2024 |title=A U.S. scientist's tea recipe has Brits aghast. Salt? Warm milk? The horror! |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/01/25/1226815949/tea-salt-controversy-us-uk |work=NPR}}{{Cite news |date=2024-01-24 |title=US scientist recommends adding salt to make perfect cup of tea |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-68085304 |access-date=2024-02-17 |language=en-GB}} Francl has subsequently noted that eating some fruits and vegetables can impact the duration of time that caffeine remains in the body.{{Cite news |last1=Davis |first1=Nicola |last2=correspondent |first2=Nicola Davis Science |date=2024-02-16 |title=Deja brew: chemistry professor's latest advice on tea drinking – try grapefruit |url=https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/feb/16/deja-brew-chemistry-professors-latest-advice-on-tea-drinking-try-grapefruit |access-date=2024-02-17 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}