Professor Edward Mack, Jr. was a long time faculty member of the Chemistry Department at The Ohio State University. After fourteen years as chairman, he resigned in October, 1955, to be devoted full time to teaching and research. Not long thereafter his friends and former students learned of his death in June, 1956.
Professor Mack's research interests included the determina- tion of the sizes and shapes of molecules from collision cross-sections using kinetic gas measurements. He also studied the rates and mechanisms of gas phase reactions, surface films, and biochemical problems. Professor Mack is remembered as a man of great energy and enthusiasm for research as well as his students.
Professor Mack became a member of the faculty at Ohio State in 1919 when he immediately began to take a personal interest in graduate students. He was their continual advocate, aiding his students through difficult years by soliciting grants from many companies and businesses. In many cases, he even took funds out of his own pocket for their support. Professor Mack was entirely dedicated to his graduate students, both scientifically and personally. In this spirit, the graduate students are responsible for every aspect of the Mack Memorial Award.
Graduate Students participate in the Mack Memorial Award by serving on the Mack Award's committee, nominating individuals, voting for the Mack Award recipient, and, of course, for attending the talks and joining the celebration.
Previous Lecturers:
2024 - Stephen L. Buchwald
2023 - Raychelle Burks
2021 - Yogesh Surendranath
2020 - Melanie Sanford
2019 - Cynthia Friend
2018 - Peidong Yang
2017 - David MacMillan
2016 - Omar Yaghi
2015 - George Whitesides
2014 - Robert S. Langer
2013 - T. Don Tilley
2012 - Sunney Xie
2011 - Vincent Rotello
2010 - Chad A. Mirkin
Note: This lecture was made possible by financial support from the Dr. Robert H. Lawrence Jr. Endowed Fund in Chemistry, the Dr. Kurt L. Loening Endowment Fund in Chemical Nomenclature and Chemical Information, the Chemistry Lecture Fund, as well as numerous other donors.
