Award-winning Scientists to Speak at Trinity University

Two award-winning scientists will deliver presentations on the chemistry behind drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and the role of pesticides in environmental and human health this fall as part of Trinity University’s Distinguished Scientists Lecture Series.

On Wednesday, Nov. 8, Richard N. Zare, the Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor in natural science and a chemistry professor at Stanford University, will present “Human Alcoholysis” at 7 p.m. in Laurie Auditorium.

Zare’s lecture will examine “human alcoholysis,” the chemistry behind drinking to excess. He will explain the chemical kinetics of alcohol consumption: you learn how quickly and how long does the consumption of alcohol can affect human activity.

Throughout his distinguished career, Zare has made a major impact in physical chemistry and analytical chemistry, particularly through the development of laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and the study of chemical reactions at the molecular and nanoscale level. LIF is an extremely sensitive technique with applications ranging from analytical chemistry and molecular biology to astrophysics.

On Monday, Dec. 4, Tyrone B. Hayes, professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley, will present “From Silent Spring to Silent Night: A Tale of Toads and Men” at 7 p.m. in Laurie Auditorium.

Hayes’s talk focuses on the negative impact of herbicides and other pesticides on environmental and human health. For example, the herbicide atrazine causes neural damage, chemically castrates, and leads to stunted growth and development in male frogs. Similarly, exposure to herbicides and other pesticides has been associated with human reproductive cancers and birth defects.

Hayes is known for his research on the effects of the herbicide atrazine on male frogs. He is also an advocate for critical review and regulation of pesticides and other chemicals that may cause adverse environmental and human health effects. He is outspoken on his conclusions about the role that environmental chemical contaminants have played in the global decline of amphibians and the health disparities in minority and low-income populations.

These lectures are free and open to the public. Seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis; tickets or reservations are not required.