Dr. Lisa Szczepura, University Professor of Chemistry, will deliver the Fall College of Arts and Sciences Lecture, “Precious Metal Clusters,” at 5 p.m. on Thursday, September 2 in the Old Main Room of the Bone Student Center. “I am very much looking forward to Dr. Szczepura’s College Lecture, which will be the first in nearly two years. She is an accomplished teacher-researcher, and I’m eager to learn more about her important work,” said Dr. Diane Zosky, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Her talk is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the lecture. Under current University regulations, masks will be required for everyone.
Szczepura joined the ISU faculty in 1997 as an assistant professor, became a full professor in 2009, and was recently named University Professor. Her research focuses on developing synthetic methodologies for the design of unique metal clusters with novel physical properties that are well-suited for a range of applications such as imaging, battery materials, and catalysis.
She has been a Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and has received numerous research awards on campus, including Outstanding University Researcher in 2012. She has nearly 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and she and her students have given more than 140 scientific presentations. She is frequently cited and has received $1.8 million in external funding.
Szczepura is also an accomplished teacher and mentor. She is the recipient of numerous teaching awards on campus, and she has served as a research advisor for more than 45 undergraduate and 20 graduate students in her laboratory. In addition, she has mentored another 65 students through various programs aimed at recruiting and retaining students in STEM-based majors.
