Dr. Alan MacDiarmid, a Nobel Prize winner and University of Wisconsin graduate, died Wednesday at the age of 79.

MacDiarmid, who received a graduate and doctorate degree in inorganic chemistry from UW, was scheduled to receive an honorary degree at commencement ceremonies this spring.

MacDiarmid worked as a chemistry professor at the University of Pennsylvania from 1955 until his death. Colleagues said MacDiarmid made incredible contributions to the field of science.

"This is such a sad day for all of us in the Penn family," Penn President Amy Gutmann said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald. "With Alan's passing, we have lost not only a great chemist and scientist of extraordinary accomplishment and global stature but also an enthusiastic friend and wonderful colleague."

Along with his degrees from UW, MacDiarmid earned both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in science from the University of New Zealand and a doctoral degree from the University of Cambridge in England. David Musolf, secretary of the faculty at UW, said the degree will be awarded posthumously at the commencement. He was unsure as of Thursday if anybody would come to receive the degree in MacDiarmid's place.

"Honorary degree recipients are … individuals who have led extraordinary lives and who have made major contributions to the field of knowledge," Musolf said. "Even though he has passed on, the institution will still make that recognition and that will be part of his legacy."

Rebecca Bushnell, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, said MacDiarmid will be not be forgotten.

"The School of Arts and Sciences had the great fortune of counting Alan MacDiarmid as a faculty member for over half a century," Bushnell said in an e-mail. "We will remember him not only as a path-breaking scientist but also as a cherished colleague, teacher and mentor."

MacDiarmid, who held over 30 patents and authored or co-authored more than 600 research papers in his career, was one of three recipients of the 2000 Nobel Prize for chemistry. The prize was awarded to MacDiarmid and two colleagues for their discovery that plastics can be used to conduct electricity.

According to a statement from Penn Communications, MacDiarmid's work with colleagues Alan Heeger and Hideki Shirakawa has fueled the development of molecular electronics and turned conventional scientific wisdom on its head.

Additionally, the trio's discovery unleashed a new wave of research among scientists around the world. The discovery, the Penn statement said, has yielded a number of practical applications as well.

The Daily Pennsylvanian, a student newspaper at the University of Pennsylvania, reported yesterday MacDiarmid passed away due to complications after a fall down the stairs of his Philadelphia-area home.

According to The Daily Pennsylvanian, MacDiarmid suffered from Myelodysplastic Syndrome — a disease affecting blood and bone marrow. MacDiarmid was pronounced dead after being rushed to Delaware County Memorial Hospital.

–Nick Penzenstadler contributed to this report.