This honorary lecture complements the Marple-Schweitzer Memorial Award in Chemistry awarded every Spring by the Northwestern Chemistry Department. The Award and Lecture Series were established in 1946 by the Alpha Gamma chapter of PLU and Professor Byron Riegel in memory of Paul T. Marple and Kenneth J. Schweitzer. Marple and Schweitzer were chemistry department graduate students who accepted commissions in the Navy during World War II and lost their lives in the conflict.
Professor Riegel wrote, "A university... never lost two finer men than these two men. It is a terrible price to pay because of our inability to promote peace." Marple and Schweitzer were good friends, excellent students and members of PLU. In honor of their scholarship, the Marple-Schweitzer Award is given to a senior majoring in chemistry who has demonstrated outstanding ability in classwork and in the laboratory. The Lecture Series is designed to be of general scientific interest. The lecture topics serve to demonstrate the timely and creative aspects of chemical research in hopes of attracting more undergraduates into chemistry.
2009
Lecturer- Douglas Worsnop of Aerodyne Research, Inc.
"Aerosols in the Atmosphere: from the Ozone Layer to Climate Change"
2008
Lecturer- Anthony England of Mangosteen
"A Chemist off the Beaten Track"
Lecturer- Carl W. Dirk of the University of Texas at El Paso
"In a New Light: Design of Illuminants to reduce Photochemical Degradation of Works of Art"
2006
Lecturer- David E. Carlson of BP Solar
"Fossil Fuel Depletion, Global Warming & the Solar Energy Solution"
2005
Lecturer- Russell Johnson of Honeywell International
"The Use of Catalysts for Environmentally Sound Conversion of Explosives and Propellants"
2004
Lecturer- Francesca Casadio of the Art Institute of Chicago
"Taking a Closer Look at Art: Scientific Research for the Study and Preservation of Cultural Heritage"
2003
Lecturer- Daniel Nocera of Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"Energy Conversion at the Molecular Level"
We feel our graduate student members have extensive exposure to academia and industry through the chemistry department at Northwestern University, but we know there are other avenues for utilizing a PhD after graduate school. To this end, since 2005, the Alpha Gamma chapter has sponsored and organized an annual discussion forum that brings to Northwestern individuals who have PhDs in chemistry or a related physical science, but do not work in traditional research roles. Past speakers on the panel have included: intellectual property lawyers, forensic scientists, public school administrators, museum directors, national laboratory researchers, NASA chiefs, consultants, AAAS and ACS policy fellows, and many more.
2008
Panelists- Dr. Kwabena P.A.B. Yiadom of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Program Analysis and Evaluation Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Programs; Dr. Barclay Satterfield of the ACS Science Policy Fellow Office of Legilative and Government Affairs; Dr. Lisa Balbes of Balbes Consultants and author of Nontraditional Careers for PhD Chemists; and Dr. Michelle Russell, a consultant from Boston Consulting Group
2007
Panelists- Michael A. Meador, Chief of the Polymeric Materials Branch at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio; Lisa M. Utschig, Staff Scientist in the Chemistry Division at Argonne National Laboratory; Barry Aprison, Director of Science and Technology at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois ; Garth Folwer, Outreach Program Manager for sciencecareers.org and AAAS in Washington DC; and Dr. Gregg Zank, Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, and Executive Director of Science and Technology for Dow Corning Corporation