In honor of its two recent National Medal of Science recipients, Jan Achenbach and Tobin Marks, Northwestern University held a National Medal of Science Symposium on May 14.

Achenbach and Marks received their medals at a White House ceremony in July 2007. The medal honors individuals for “pioneering scientific research in a range of fields, including physical, biological, mathematical, social, behavioral and engineering sciences, that enhances our understanding of the world and leads to innovations and technologies that give the United States its global economic edge.”

Professor Achenbach was honored for his seminal contributions to engineering research and education in the area of wave propagation in solids and for pioneering the field of quantitative non-destructive evaluation. Professor Marks was honored for his pioneering research in the areas of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, organo-f-element chemistry, new electronic and photonic materials, and diverse areas of coordination and solid state chemistry.

The day-long conference featured talks from both Achenbach and Marks and their colleagues across the country, including:

• Robert Grubbs, Victor and Elizabeth Atkins Professor of Chemistry, California Institute of Technology, 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• Joanna Aizenberg, Gordon McKay Professor of Materials Science, Harvard University
• Grigory Barenblatt, Professor in Residence, Department of Mathematics, University of California, Berkeley
• Malcolm Chisholm, Distinguished Professor of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, The Ohio State University
• Thomas Hughes, Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, University of Texas at Austin
• Sia Nemat-Nasser, Distinguished Professor of Mechanics and Materials, University of California, San Diego

The day ended with a speech by Arden Bement, Jr., director of the National Science Foundation. Bement spoke of the future of science, which he says will call on the convergence of science and engineering into fields like biogeochemistry and nanoecotoxicology. Such convergence is needed to take on the problems we now face, like climate change and water shortage.

But the United States cannot remain on the forefront of such fields without a greater investment in science research and education, he said. Governmental funding of science and research has fallen off over the past two decades, and as a result, more than 1,000 programs and research grants will go unfunded this year. The country needs a renewed commitment to such research and education along with reliable resources to fund them in order to keep the United States competitive in the 21st century, he said.

The symposium was organized by a committee chaired by Mark Hersam, professor of materials science and engineering and professor of chemistry.

For more information, visit: http://www.nmss.northwestern.edu/.