Hungarian chemist Gabor A. Somorjai will present at the Brigham Young University Second Annual Reed M. Izatt and James J. Christensen Lecture Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 6 p.m. and Thursday, Jan. 22, at 4 p.m. in 214 Ronald A. Crabtree Technology Building.
Sponsored by the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Chemical Engineering, the lectures are open to the public. Admission is free.
On Wednesday, Somorjai will present a lecture for a wide audience titled “Surfaces — Favorite Media of Evolution and Modern Technologies.” He will discuss the properties of surfaces and the role of surfaces in modern technologies.
On Thursday, he will present a more technical lecture for faculty, graduate students, industry specialists and interested students titled “Molecular Foundations of Heterogeneous Metal Catalysis.” The lecture will explore key concepts in developing clean processes that do not produce byproducts.
Born in Hungary during the Second World War, Somorjai faced difficulty in attending the university in the Russian-occupied territory. He was eventually accepted to the University of Technical Sciences, where he received a bachelor’s degree.
When the Hungarian Revolution broke out, he escaped to Austria and then to the United States. Upon arrival, he was admitted to the College of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received a doctorate.
For more information, contact Brent Hall at (801) 422-4501.
Writer: Angela Fischer
