The world-renowned Pittsburgh Conference – better known as Pittcon – isn’t just for Pennsylvania anymore. For the first time in its 64-year history, the nonprofit dedicated to broadening science education held one of its four annual lectures (which began in 1981) outside of Pennsylvania – on the campus of The University of Akron.
Drs. Fu-Tyan ’71, ’79 and Fu-mei C. Lin ’75, ’81
The decision to bring a lecture to UA was, in large part, thanks to Drs. Fu-Tyan ’71, ’79 and Fu-mei C. Lin ’75, ’81, both of whom hold graduate degrees in physics and doctoral degrees in polymer science from The University of Akron. The couple’s influence stems from their leadership posts with Pittcon (they are committee members) and their current and former roles with the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh and the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh (the two organizations that comprise Pittcon). Moreover, the couple has an exceptional fondness and respect for their alma mater – and its outstanding science programs.
“We appreciate the excellent education and training in research we received from The University of Akron and really wanted to bring the PITTCON Lecture series to the UA campus,” said the couple. “The lecture series is an outstanding program, and we hope it will continue, year-after-year, to improve higher education in chemical science.”
Through the Lins’ efforts, UA’s Department of Chemistry hosted Dr. Joel M. Harris, distinguished professor of chemistry at the University of Utah, on June 5. The award-winning researcher and instructor – and UA’s inaugural Pittcon lecturer – spoke to a crowd of chemistry enthusiasts on “Spectroscopy under the Microscope: Chemical Analysis in Femtoliter Volumes.”
For more than three decades, Pittcon Lectures have been traditions at the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, and Carnegie Mellon University – all located in Pennsylvania. The University of Akron now is pleased to join these prestigious institutions as an annual host site. In fact, the second Pittcon lecture at The University of Akron is scheduled for March 5, 2015, when the University welcomes Stanford professor Dr. Steven G. Boxer, whose chemistry research areas focus on bio-nanotechnology, biophysical, and physical.
In addition to the lecture series, Pittcon organizes and hosts an annual conference and exposition on laboratory science – in varying locations around the country – that is among the most attended annual conferences on analytical chemistry and applied spectroscopy in the world.