As Chemistry Research Day approaches Friday, many special programs have been scheduled for everyone to attend. What is special about this year is that the department is celebrating 50 years at the university, with special programs to reminisce how far they have come.
The 9th annual research day will be an all-day event. From morning till afternoon, poster presentations will be held.
“All our graduate, and some undergraduates, present their work at this poster session,” said Norma Reyes, assistant to the chemistry chair, “It is a big accomplishment for them to put their research onto paper and explain what they are doing.”
Many of the graduate students are working with advisors at Brookhaven National Lab, and their work will be showcased as well. Undergraduates, as well as high school students, will have an opportunity to meet with faculty from BNL and the chemistry department.
“It’s a recruitment tool where the students can meet with faculty and advisors who want to do research,” Reyes said.
This year, 127 posters will be presented, an increase from previous years when there were about 100.
Following the poster presentation, a symposium is being held in honor of 50 years. The theme for the program is “The present, past, and future of Stony Brook,” where the four speakers will represent the time frames.
“After 50 years, there is a lot to reflect back upon,” said Professor Ben Hsiao, chair of the chemistry department.
To speak about the past, a special guest speaker, Professor Francis T. Bonner, the founding chair for the department in 1958, will be present. Following him will be two alumni to speak about the present. One is Joseph A. Frank the chief of Laboratory of Diagnostic Radiology Research, NIH. The other is Dr. Brian A. Kuhlman, from the department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Lastly, the speaker for the future of chemistry will be one of the current younger faculty members, Dr. Elizabeth M. Boon. The last event for the day is the gala banquet, which will be held in the patio of the Student Union ballroom. Past chairmen and other special guests will be present. Joan Dawson, the wife of the late Professor Paul Lauterbur, will be presenting the department with the Nobel Prize medal that her husband received for his work on the MRI. Professor Lauterbur’s work on the MRI began here at Stony Brook.
Professor Joseph Lauher will also be showing a PowerPoint presentation with stories and pictures from Stony Brook over time. The evening is based upon an “Italian flair” theme, featuring a wine-tasting dinner and Italian champagnes.
“Many faculty and students have been working really hard to put [Research Day] together, and the dinner is a time to relax and finish off the day,” Reyes said.
