Energy, environment, economy and security: never before has society been so acutely aware of the links between these issues. On April 10, Michelle V. Buchanan, associate laboratory director for physical sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will address these links in a lecture titled “Grand Scientific Challenges in Energy” as part of the John R. and Donna S. Hall Engineering Lecture Series. The free public lecture will be held in Vanderbilt’s Featheringill Hall at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 10.
Worldwide demand for energy is expected to increase by 50 percent or more by 2030, with over 70 percent of the growth coming from countries with emerging economies. These increasing demands will place enormous pressure on the environment as atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide continue to increase. Buchanan will address how the need for readily available, clean, affordable energy to meet future demands will require critical advances in energy production. Developing these new technologies represents a grand scientific challenge that cuts across disciplines.
Buchanan received a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Kansas and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Previously she served as director of the Chemical Sciences Division and as associate director of the Life Sciences Division at ORNL. She has more than 150 scientific publications and reports to her credit and holds two patents. She has served on the editorial boards of several journals in the area of analytical chemistry and on numerous scientific advisory boards.
The John R. and Donna S. Hall Engineering Lecture Series was established in 2002 to allow Vanderbilt School of Engineering students to hear renowned engineers from other universities and agencies address engineering topics of particular interest.
Media Contacts: David F. Salisbury, (615) 322-NEWS
david.salisbury@vanderbilt.edu
Laurie Parker (615) 830-2871
laurie.parker@vanderbilt.edu
[Featheringill Hall is located on Vanderbilt University Campus behind the Free Electron Laser Building. Click here for a map.]