Skip to main content
Intellect

Distinguished Harvard chemist to present BYU lectures Nov. 3-4

Harvard University professor of chemistry George M. Whitesides will present two lectures during a visit to Brigham Young University Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 3-4.

Whitesides will deliver the third annual Reed M. Izatt and James J. Christensen Lecture, “Simple Solutions in Medical Diagnostics in Developing Countries,” Tuesday at 7 p.m. in B094 Joseph F. Smith Building. He will also offer a more in-depth, technical presentation, titled “Complexity and Emergence in Dynamically Self-Assembling Systems,” Wednesday at 4 p.m. in W140 Benson Science Building.

Both lectures, sponsored by the BYU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, are open to the general public. Admission is free.

Author of nearly 1,000 scientific articles and the holder of more than 50 patents, Whitesides is the most cited living chemist. He is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Welch Award in Chemistry, the Prince of Asturias Award in Science and Technology and the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry. He also received the Priestley Medal in 2007, the highest honor conferred by the American Chemical Society.

Whitesides has held post at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, where he maintains an active lab and research group comprised of more than 35 graduate and postdoctoral students. Whitesides received an artium baccalaureus degree from Harvard University and a Ph.D from the California Institute of Technology.

For more information, contact Brent Hall at (801) 422-4501 or at brenth@byu.edu.

Writer: Ricardo Castro

whitesides_web.jpg
Photo by Ryan Woodward

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

Forum: Convergence of Faith

September 29, 2026
Ross G. Douthat, an American author, journalist and television correspondent for CBS News’ 60 Minutes spoke at Tuesday's forum and encouraged BYU students to hold on to their belief in God.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Facing the megadrought: BYU researchers study underground ice reservoirs in the American West

September 17, 2026
Mount Timpanogos, towering 7000 feet above Utah Valley, is more than an iconic view and beloved hiking destination. Snowmelt from mountains like these provides about 95% of Utah’s water supply. Hotter, drier conditions have led to water-conservation statements from both religious and state leaders.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Humans or AI? Who or what can scam you more effectively?

September 15, 2026
Scammers are now tasking AI agents with drumming up deceptive spear-phishing attacks en masse. Recent BYU research examined AI-generated deception across text messages and emails and found they can be even more convincing than human-created scams.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=