Lecture on 'Faraday and Franklin' set Oct. 13

12:46 p.m., Oct. 5, 2006--Sir John Meurig Thomas, honorary professor of solid state chemistry in the Department of Materials Science at the University of Cambridge and emeritus professor of chemistry at the Davy Faraday Research Laboratory (DFRL) of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, London, will give a lecture titled, “Faraday and Franklin,” at 4 p.m., Friday, Oct. 13, in Mitchell Hall.

The lecture will describe how Benjamin Franklin and Michael Faraday became such iconic figures, and how much they have influenced the modern world. The lecture will be followed by a reception in the lobby of Du Pont Hall.

Thomas, who was knighted in 1991 for “services to chemistry and the popularization of science,” thus making science accessible to nonexperts, is a world-renowned expert on solid catalysts and materials and surface chemistry.

For his work in catalysis, materials and surface chemistry, Thomas was awarded the Willard Gibbs Gold Medal of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the Guilio Natta Gold Medal of the Italian Chemical Society, and in 1999 he became the first recipient of the ACS Annual Award for “creative research in homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis.” Stanford University awarded Thomas the 2003 Linus Pauling Gold Medal for his contributions to the advancement of science.

The Royal Society of Chemistry honored Thomas in 2005 with the Sir George G. Stokes Gold Medal for his work on electron-based characterization of solids and surfaces.

Thomas served as master of Peterhouse College, the oldest College in the University of Cambridge, from 1993-2002. He was director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain from 1986-2001 and head of the Department of Physical Chemistry at the University of Cambridge from 1978-86.

Thomas received his bachelor's and doctoral degrees from the University of Wales, Swansea, after spending his last year of graduate study at Queen Mary College, London. He spent one year doing research at the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority and began his teaching career in 1958 as an assistant lecturer in chemistry at the University College of Wales, Bangor, where he became a senior lecturer and then a reader. He was head of chemistry at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, from 1969-78.

The event is co-sponsored by UD's Office of the Provost, the University Faculty Senate, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering, the University Honors Program and the departments of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Electrical and Computer Engineering, History, Materials Science and Engineering, Philosophy, Physics and Astronomy, and Political Science.

For more information, call (302) 831-2034 or e-mail [dbuttrey@udel.edu].

Article by Martin Mbugua

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