ALLIANCE, Ohio – Dr. Bassam Shakhashiri, professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will present the 2018 Gallaher Lecture at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 6 in the Brush Performance Hall of the Giese Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Mount Union.

Shakhashiri will present “Science is Fun and the Joy of Learning”, which will include demonstrations to show how science can be communicated to all segments of our society.  Attendees will learn about combustion, liquids that glow in the dark, polymers and other spectacular scientific phenomena that will have attendees at the edge of their seats while witnessing science in action.

Prior to Shakhashiri’s lecture, he will present a technical lecture at 11:10 a.m. in Room 02 of Bracy Hall, “Science and Society: Our Opportunities and Responsibilities.” Shakhashiri will discuss the importance of how scientists talk about science to the broader public. He will highlight several issues in modern society and how successful communication from scientists can help to properly shape the context in which discussions about those topics will take place.

Shakhashiri is the recipient of more than 35 awards, including the Carl Sagan Award for Public Understanding of Science from the Council of Scientific Society Presidents. In 2018 he received the ACS James T. Grady- James H. Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public. He is the youngest recipient of two of the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) most coveted recognitions—the James Flack Norris Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching of Chemistry (1983) and the ACS George Pimentel Award in Chemical Education (1986); he has been a member of the ACS since 1962.

This event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the lecture. For information, contact Mount Union’s Office of Marketing at (330) 823-6063.

About the Gallaher Lecture
The Dr. Charles S. Gallaher Science Lecture Series was established in 2013 with an estate gift from Dr. Charles S. Gallaher ’25. Gallaher was a Mount Union alumnus and distinguished member of the Board of Trustees from 1956 to 1994. The lecture supports the sciences and is to be presented in the Charles S. Gallaher Hall.