Dr. Robert Byron Bird to Present the Reed M. Izatt and James J. Christensen Lecture
Nov. 4, 2010
Robert Byron Bird, Chemical Engineer and Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will present the Fourth Annual Reed M. Izatt and James J. Christensen Lecture on November 17 and 18, at Brigham Young University.
Dr. Bird will give a general seminar, “What makes scientists and discoverers tick?” in the Harold B. Lee Library auditorium (1060 HBLL) at 7 p.m. on November 17. The technical seminar, titled “An Introduction to the Kinetic Theory of Polymers (or: How can dumbbells be so smart?)”, will be held in W112 BNSN at 4 p.m. on November 18.
Dr. Bird earned his Ph.D. degree in physical chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1950. He has been a member of the National Academy of Engineering since 1969, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences since 1989, as well as a member of a number of foreign academies. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan awarded Dr. Bird the National Medal of Science “for his profoundly influential books and research on kinetic theory, transport phenomena, the behavior of polymeric fluids, and foreign language study for engineers and scientists.” Dr. Bird is also a co-author of the landmark textbook, Transport Phenomena.
More information, including lecture abstracts for the seminars, is available here.
By Jessica Henrie