Prof Schrock (63), of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), received the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2005, with researcher Yves Chauvin, of France, and Prof Robert Grubb, of Caltech, in the United States, for his work in metathesis, an organic synthesis technique.
MIT officials said Prof Schrock's award was for developing a chemical reaction, now used daily in the chemical industry for the more efficient and more environmentally-friendly production of important pharmaceuticals, fuels and synthetic fibres.
Prof Schrock, who has also received several other scientific awards, was the first to elucidate the structure and mechanism of a series of ''black box'' catalysts.
Interviewed during a visit to the University of Otago chemistry department, Prof Schrock said he enjoyed making big discoveries in useful areas such as certain catalysts, which sped up chemical reactions.
''There are smaller discoveries that are exciting too.''
Prof Schrock addressed a lunch gathering of staff from the Otago department and also talked with senior chemistry students, last week.
Becoming a Nobel laureate had been generally positive.
Although, he added with a smile, there had been a mix-up on one occasion, when he had had to point out that he was the recipient not of the Nobel Peace Prize, but of the Nobel chemistry award.
''In many ways I can do more than I ever could before - talking to people like yourself, and giving public lectures.''
''I tell my wife [Nancy] that everything is chemistry.''
Chemistry was often misunderstood by the public, with many people not appreciating the many interesting discoveries being made, and their value in helping create a better, more environmentally-friendly life through, for example, developing new, biodegradable
plastics.
''The things that really make a difference to us here and now are chemical, partly,'' he said.
Chemistry was deeply involved in helping to make the kind of practical improvements needed ''if we want to make our lives better''.
Dr Guy Jameson, an Otago chemistry lecturer who helped organise the Dunedin visit, said Prof Schrock had made ''a very significant contribution to inorganic and organometallic chemistry''.