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The Kavli Foundation Sponsors Presidential Lectures At ACS National Meetings

by Susan J. Ainsworth
July 19, 2010 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 88, Issue 29

Kavli
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Credit: Dan Dry
Credit: Dan Dry

The Kavli Foundation, an internationally recognized philanthropic organization known for its support of basic scientific research, has agreed to sponsor a series of lectures on scientific innovation at ACS national meetings. The lectures will be designed to bring new insights to bear on mounting worldwide problems, including climate change, emerging diseases, and water and energy shortages.

“We’re thrilled that The Kavli Foundation has chosen to sponsor this important series of presidential lectures at our national meetings for the next three years,” ACS President Joseph S. Francisco says. “Like the foundation, we believe that scientific innovation will play a crucial role in providing solutions to emerging global challenges and promoting a sustainable future for our planet.”

A special committee of experts appointed by the ACS president-elect will select The Kavli Foundation Innovations in Chemistry Lecturer for each meeting, beginning with the 241st ACS national meeting in Anaheim, Calif., on March 27–31, 2011. A call for nominations will be issued soon, according to ACS.

“On behalf of the foundation’s founder and benefactor, Fred Kavli, and its president, Robert W. Conn, I would like to express a tremendous enthusiasm about collaboration between ACS and The Kavli Foundation,” says Miyoung Chun, the foundation’s vice president of science programs. “We are dedicated to advancing science for the benefit of humanity, promoting public understanding of scientific research, and supporting scientists and their work. The Kavli Foundation Innovations in Chemistry Lecture program at the ACS national meetings fits perfectly with our commitment to support groundbreaking discovery and promote its public understanding.”

The Kavli Foundation’s specific interests are closely aligned with the themes of 2011 and 2012 ACS national meetings, which will focus on the chemistry of natural resources, including air, space, and water; life processes; and materials for health.

In addition, it is appropriate, Francisco says, that The Kavli Foundation Innovations in Chemistry Lecture program will be launched during 2011, a year designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Chemistry (IYC 2011).

“The Kavli Foundation’s decision to sponsor these lectures couldn’t be timelier, coming as it does as we are preparing for IYC 2011, a worldwide celebration of the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind,” Francisco says. “ The goals of IYC 2011—increasing public appreciation of chemistry, encouraging interest in chemistry among young people, and generating enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry—match up almost perfectly with what The Kavli Foundation and ACS hope to achieve through these lectures.”

The Kavli Foundation was established in December 2000 by Kavli, a California business leader and philanthropist. The foundation is involved in establishing major research institutes at leading universities and institutions in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. It also supports scientific conferences and symposia, science journalism, endowed chair professorships, and other activities that support advances in basic science and enhance the public’s appreciation of scientists and their work.

In addition, the foundation supports the Kavli Prizes, which recognize scientists for their seminal advances in astrophysics, nanoscience, and neuroscience. The prizes, which were first presented in 2008, are awarded every two years in Oslo, Norway. The 2010 prizes will be awarded in September (C&EN Online Latest News, June 3).

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