Department of Chemistry Hosts MilliporeSigma Lectureship
The Department of Chemistry at Penn State thanks MilliporeSigma for its support of its eponymous lectureship for the third year in a row; the lectureship is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to “deepen scientific relationships” between industry and academics. The primary objective of the MilliporeSigma lectureship is to connect our scientists with the broader community of researchers in the hopes of forging more collaborative partnerships. This year, Dr. Tyrel McQueen, professor in the Department of Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University, traveled to University Park to participate in the lectureship and present a seminar entitled “The Dawn of the Chemistry of Quantum Materials: Discovery, Synthesis, and Potential Applications.”
Beth Rosenberg, Manager of the Research Technology Specialist at MilliporeSigma, explains that the company supports the lectureship because of its strong belief in the importance of collaborative science. She notes that the company aims to “advance science and work toward solutions to the toughest scientific problems facing people today” through the lectureship.
Dr. McQueen’s research is addressing some of these very problems. His lab focuses on fundamental and applied research within quantum materials, research that is leading to the discovery of new materials that will be the building blocks of the technology of the future. This field of study has the potential to make the production of everyday items cheaper and more efficient, while turning out products that are smaller, lighter, and more durable. Dr. McQueen notes that many of his group’s discoveries “will probably be used in ways that we can’t even imagine right now.”
Penn State faculty and students enjoyed attending the lectureship and speaking with Dr. McQueen about his work. Helping chemists make these important connections is part of MilliporeSigma’s goal of building productive scientific partnerships.
Dr. McQueen notes that he decided to participate in the lectureship because “it’s important to talk about the design and creation of new materials.” He explains, “If you look at the technological achievements people have unlocked in the past century – all of human history really, right down to the ability to create bronze and then iron – much of what we’ve achieved has been tied to the ability to create new materials with new properties...Our next age of technology will be the same – it will depend greatly on the creation of new materials with new properties, and a leading candidate is the wild world of quantum materials.”
The Department of Chemistry at Penn State thanks MilliporeSigma for their support and Dr. McQueen for his participation. The department looks forward to hosting future MilliporeSigma lectureships.