The full story is here: http://meetings.chess.cornell.edu/UserMeeting2008/PosterAward.htm

The poster session at the Users' Meeting attracted nearly 50 entries. Topics presented ran the gamut from macromolecular structures to software for processing X-ray fluorescence data to GISAXS analysis of block copolymer structures. A team of 5 judges evaluated the posters and, after considerable discussion and some tough decision-making, awarded two $100 prizes:

The Best Scientific Achievement prize went to “Jahn and Teller Play with Nano-Chessboards at CHESS”, by S.M. O'Malley (middle), P.L. Bonanno (left), K.H. Ahn, A.A. Sirenko, A. Kazimirov, S. Park, and S.-W. Cheong; the Sirenko group hails from New Jersey Institute of Technology. The poster explained how a ZnMnGaO₄ film consisting of a checkerboard of nanorods of two different spinel phases could be self-assembled, analyzed, and understood in terms of the packing between matching surfaces of the different domains. This is not an area of expertise of any of the judges, but one of the poster's authors was on hand to clearly explain it to passersby. The award was presented by a representative from Brush-Wellman (right), which kindly sponsored the prize.