In 2014, The University of Texas at El Paso celebrates the 100th anniversary of its founding in 1914 as the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy. Our Centennial offers not only an occasion to celebrate our distinguished history, but also a window through which we can begin contemplating our bright future as the first national research university with a 21st century student demographic. The Centennial Lecture Series invites noteworthy speakers to the UTEP campus to share their perspectives on a broad range of contemporary issues that are likely to impact our society, culture and lives in the years ahead. We invite you to join us in exploring important and timely topics and expanding our thinking about how they may help shape UTEP’s next 100 years.


President Diana Natalicio
and
The Department of Chemistry

cordially invite you to attend a UTEP Centennial Lecture

“Chemistry in Nano and Outer Space”
Professor Sir Harry Kroto

Tuesday, November 25, 2014
4 p.m.
Undergraduate Learning Center, Room 106
UTEP Campus

Reception to follow presentation


Originally from England, Harry Kroto earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a Ph.D. in molecular spectroscopy from Sheffield University. He joined the University of Sussex in 1967 as a tutorial fellow, eventually becoming a research professor. Kroto shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with two others after discovering one of the world’s first nanoparticles: buckminsterfullerenes, or “buckyballs.” Made up of 60 carbon atoms fused together in a soccer-ball shape, buckyballs surprised chemists across the globe since they represented a new, stable form of pure carbon. Because of their unique properties, the nanoparticles are now being studied for applications in drug delivery and solar energy. Kroto and his partners’ discovery is said to have revolutionized the modern world, giving rise to the era of nanotechnology. In recognition of his service to science, the chemist was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1996, taking on the title of Sir Harry Kroto. Kroto currently works at Florida State University, serving as the Francis Eppes Professor of Chemistry.