Nanoscience expert to speak at Ott Chemistry Lecture

Chemist and nanoscience expert Chad Mirkin is the featured speaker for the Arnold C. Ott Lectureship in Chemistry at Grand Valley State University. Mirkin will give two presentations on Wednesday, November 4, at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., on the Allendale Campus.

Mirkin’s afternoon presentation, “Building Valency in Metallic Nanostructures: The Atom Analogy,” will be held in 123 Manitou Hall. His evening lecture, “Programming Materials Assembly with DNA: Applications in Biology and Medicine,” will be held in the Cook-DeWitt Center.

Mirkin, director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University, is known for his development of nanoparticle-based biodetection schemes. He is the author of more than 380 manuscripts and 350 patents and applications. Mirkin is the founder of two companies, Nanosphere, and Nanolink, which are commercializing nanotechnology applications in the life science and semiconductor industries. He is currently the third most-cited chemist in the world and a member of President Obama’s Council of Advisors for Science and Technology. He has received more than 50 national and international awards. Mirkin received his bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College and doctorate from Pennsylvania State University.

The Ott Lectureship was created and endowed by a gift from Arnold C. Ott and Marion Ott. Arnold Ott was one of the co-founders of Grand Valley and served on the Board of Trustees for 28 years.

For more information, contact Grand Valley’s Chemistry Department at (616) 331-3317.