March 17, 2022
For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Jason Papagan
Manager of Communication
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society
jpapagan@sigmaxi.org
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society is pleased to announce the establishment of a new endowed lectureship to connect chapters and members with thought leaders in science and engineering. The Pariser Global Lectureship for Innovation in Physical Sciences will recognize researchers worldwide for their capacity to bridge the gap between basic and applied research for the betterment of humanity. The lectureship and its recipients will honor and reflect the legacy of pioneering chemist Dr. Rudolph Pariser and the creativity and research excellence exemplified throughout his life and career.
Administered through the Sigma Xi Distinguished Lectureships program, one to three lecturers will be selected each year to receive the distinction. The inaugural event will take place April 19, 2022 and will be hosted by the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill chapter of Sigma Xi. The event will feature Dr. Yosuke Kanai, a member of the UNC—CH Chemistry Department whose work has been influenced by Dr. Pariser’s research.
”We are thrilled to have this opportunity to celebrate the fascinating life and important legacy of Dr. Rudolph Pariser,” said Jamie Vernon, Sigma Xi's executive director and CEO. “The lectureship perpetuates Rudy’s passion for intellectual engagement by bringing together his fellow Sigma Xi members, researchers from diverse backgrounds, and the broader community.”
Each year, the Sigma Xi Committee on Lectureships selects a cohort of distinguished speakers who are invited by the Society’s chapters to deliver engaging lectures to a cross-disciplinary audience and the public. Since its establishment in 1937, the Distinguished Lectureship program has helped break down disciplinary boundaries, fostered communications among researchers, and promoted the public understanding of science. The program currently operates with an annual cohort of 20–35 speakers who participate in 50–100 events with average audiences of 80–100 attendees.
The Pariser Global Lectureship will be awarded by nomination or invitation only. Lecturers may be invited by the Sigma Xi executive office, in consultation with the Committee on Lectureships, who will review nominations and make selections in consultation with the Pariser Family. To learn more, please visit sigmaxi.org/lectureships.
About Yosuke Kanai:
As a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Dr. Yosuke Kanai's research in theoretical/computational chemistry is centered on developing, implementing, and applying quantum-mechanical computational methods to study dynamical behavior of complex chemical systems. His work on simulating quantum-mechanical processes spans a wide range of topics from solar energy conversion to proton beam cancer therapy. He received his Ph.D. in theoretical chemistry from Princeton University after completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He was a Berkeley Nanoscience and Nanoengineering Institute Post-doctoral Scholar at the University of California at Berkeley and subsequently worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as a Lawrence Fellow prior to joining the faculty at UNC. His honors include the INCITE award from the US Department of Energy and the OpenEye Outstanding Junior Faculty Award in Computational Chemistry from the American Chemical Society.