Helen Murray Free graduated with a B.A. in chemistry from The College of Wooster in
1945. Her research in clinical chemistry revolutionized diagnostic testing, particularly
the "dip-and-read" glucose tests for diabetics, and she was awarded seven patents
for her clinical diagnostic test inventions. From 1987 to 1992, she chaired the American
Chemical Society's (ACS) National Chemistry Week Task Force, and in 1993 she served
as president of the ACS. She and her husband, Alfred, were inducted into the National
Inventor's Hall of Fame in 2000, and in 2010, the ACS designated the development of
diagnostic test strips as a National Historic Chemical Landmark. That same year, she
was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Obama. In
2011, Helen was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, NY.
The Helen Murray Free Endowed Lecture Series was established by Helen's children and
endowed through the Al and Helen Free Foundation. Each year, this endowed fund will
bring to campus a renowned chemical scientist, who will interact with chemistry students
at a technical level and present an all-college convocation on the contributions of
science to the quality of life.
2021 LECTURE: Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Lectures will be virtual. A link will be provided closer to the event.
Malika Jeffries-EL, Ph.D. Associate Dean, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Associate Professor of Chemistry
and Materials Science and Engineering, Boston University
Scientific Talk: Design and synthesis of organic electronic materials - 11:30 AM Virtually
Via Teams
The past two decades has seen a dramatic increase in the number of consumer electronics
in use. Previously, most households had a landline phone, one or two televisions and
the occasional desktop computer. These days most people own numerous electronic devices,
resulting in an increased demand on the semiconducting materials that drive this technology,
in addition to the energy needed to power them. Accordingly, there has been a large
amount of interest in the development of organic semiconductors, as many of the inorganic
materials used in these devices are in limited supply. Organic semiconductors are
either polymers or small molecules that feature and extended pi-conjugation. These
materials possess many exceptional electronic, optical and thermal properties and
thus are well suited for applications, such as transistors, solar cells and light
emitting diodes. Unfortunately, there are several issues that have to be addressed
before real-life products can be developed. Our group focuses on the design and synthesis
of new organic semiconductors based on low cost and/or easily prepared starting materials.
Since the properties of organic semiconductors can be readily modified through chemical
synthesis, we have turned our attention towards the design and synthesis of novel
aromatic building blocks. Our system of choice, benzobisazoles has many exceptional
electronic, optical and thermal properties making them suitable for diverse range
of organic semiconducting applications. Our group developed several new materials
based on benzobisoxazoles including wide band gap materials for use in organic light-emitting
diodes and narrow band gap materials for use in photovoltaic cells. We have also developed
a versatile synthesis of benzodifuran, the oxygen analog of the popular electron rich
building block benzodithiophene and have developing narrow band gap conjugated polymers
based on it. Concurrently, we are also making molecular species based on this building
block. Our work on the synthesis and properties and utility of these materials will
be presented.
Public Lecture: Taking the road less travelled: My journey to the Ivory Tower - 7:30
PM Virtually Via Teams
Although African Americans make up approximately 13% of the US population, they are
severely underrepresented in advanced degrees awarded in STEM disciplines and within
the ranks of the faculty at research institutions. Despite the overwhelming statistics,
Dr. Jeffries-EL pursued and completed a doctorate degree in chemistry, obtained and
academic job, and then tenure in promotion in due course. She was born in Brooklyn,
NY where she lived in public housing and attended public school. Although her situation
was less than ideal, she always had a passion for science that her parents encouraged
her to pursue. In this talk, Dr. Jeffries-EL will discuss what excites her about science
along with current trends, pipeline issues and potential solutions woven within the
content of her personal experiences.
Malika Jeffries-EL received BA degrees in Chemistry and Africana Studies at Wellesley College and M.
Phil and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry from The George Washington University. After spending
one year at Smith College as a Mendenhall Fellow she worked as a post-doctoral researcher
under the direction of Professor Richard D. McCullough at Carnegie Mellon University.
In 2005, she joined the faculty in the Chemistry Department at Iowa State University
and was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2012. She was a Martin Luther
King Jr. Visiting Professor in the chemistry department of the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology in 2015. She joined the Department of Chemistry and Division of Materials
Science at Boston University in 2016. Since July 2020 she has served as the Associate
Dean of the Graduate School in Arts and Sciences.
Dr. Jeffries-EL's research focuses on the development of organic semiconductors–materials
that combine the processing properties of polymers with the electronic properties
of semiconductors. She has authored over 40 publications, received over 3700 citations
and given over 100 lectures domestically and abroad. She has won numerous awards including
the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award (2008), the Lloyd Ferguson Award from the National
Organization of Black Chemist and Chemical Engineers (2009), NSF CAREER award (2009),
the ACS-Women Chemist Committee Rising Star award (2012) the Iota Sigma Pi Agnes Fay
Morgan Award (2013) and ACS Fellow (2018). She is currently an Associate Editor for
the Journal of Materials Chemistry C. She has also served on the editorial advisory
boards for Macromolecules and Chemical and Engineering News. Professor EL, is also
a staunch advocate for diversity and dedicated volunteer that has served in several
activities within the American Chemical Society including the advisory board for the
Women Chemist of Color Initiative and the Women Chemist Committee. She also serves
the community through her work with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA).
Dr. Jeffries-EL is a native of Brooklyn, New York.
Past Lecturers*
2020 Geraldine (Geri) Richmond, Presidential Chair of Science and Professor Chemistry, University of Oregon
Geraldine (Geri) Richmond is an international expert in environmental chemistry who
has also dedicated her career to increasing the success of women in the sciences.
She is the Presidential Chair in Science and Professor of Chemistry at the University
of Oregon. Her research using laser spectroscopy and computational methodsfocuses
on understanding environmentally and technologically important processes that occur
at liquid surfaces. A native of Kansas, Richmond received her B.S. in chemistry from
Kansas State University in 1976 and her Ph.D. in physical chemistry under the direction
of George Pimentel at the University of California, Berkeley in 1980. After her first
faculty appointment as assistant professor at Bryn Mawr College she moved to the University
of Oregon where she has been since 1985.
Richmond is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of
Arts and Sciences and is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the American
Physical Society (APS), the Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and
the Association for Women in Science. She has served in leadership roles on many international,
national and state governing and advisory boards. Website: http://richmondscience.uoregon.edu.
Read the press release
Technical Lecture: Surf, Sink or Swim: Understanding Environmentally Important Processes
at Water Surfaces Public Lecture: The Importance of Global Scientific Engagement
Joseph S. Francisco recently joined the Department of Earth and Environmental Science,
University of Pennsylvania as the President's Distinguished Professor. Since 2014, he has served as the Elmer H. and Ruby M. Cordes Chair in Chemistry
& Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
His research interests include atmospheric chemistry, tropospheric and stratospheric
chemical kinetics and modeling, atmospheric spectroscopy and photochemistry, and aerosol
and cloud chemistry. Among his many professional roles and honors, Dr. Francisco is
a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, served as a member of President Barack Obama's President's Committee on the National
Medal of Science (2010-2015), and was president of the American Chemical Society.
For a more detailed biography please select this link: Joseph S. Francisco biography (.pdf). Read the press release.
Technical Lecture - From Atmospheric Complexes to Aerosols: New Insights into Atmospheric Chemistry
Public Lecture - How We Can Rebuild Trust in Science— And Why We Must
2017
Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, The William T. Evjue Distinguished Chair for the Wisconsin Idea, Department of Chemistry;
Director, Wisconsin Initiative for Science Literacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison;
President, the American Chemical Society, 2012.
Madeleine Jacobs, President & CEO, Council of Scientific Society Presidents, Former Executive Director
and Chief Executive Officer of the American Chemical Society.
