Senate Resolution 108 - Introduced SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 108 BY QUIRMBACH A Resolution recognizing Dr. Dan Shechtman of the Iowa 1 State University College of Engineering, the United 2 States Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory, and 3 Technion-Israel Institute of Technology on his 4 receipt of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. 5 WHEREAS, Dr. Shechtman serves as a professor 6 of materials science and engineering at Iowa State 7 University; research scientist at the United 8 States Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory; and 9 distinguished professor at Technion-Israel Institute of 10 Technology in Haifa, Israel; and 11 WHEREAS, on the morning of April 8, 1982, Dr. 12 Shechtman discovered the existence of quasicrystals, a 13 new atomic structure for solid materials; and 14 WHEREAS, this structure was previously thought 15 to be impossible by the scientific and engineering 16 community; and 17 WHEREAS, Dr. Shechtman endured significant 18 skepticism and criticism from professional peers but 19 stood firm in his convictions and in the accuracy and 20 import of this discovery; and 21 WHEREAS, Dr. Shechtman’s findings were independently 22 confirmed by other researchers around the world, 23 including scientists at the United States Department of 24 Energy’s Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University; and 25 WHEREAS, the discovery of quasicrystals resulted in 26 textbooks being rewritten; and 27 WHEREAS, the discovery of quasicrystals has 28 -1- LSB 5863XS (2) 84 jr/nh 1/ 2
S.R. 108 increased knowledge and the fundamental understanding 1 of solid materials; and 2 WHEREAS, in 2004, Dr. Shechtman joined Iowa State 3 University as a professor of materials science and 4 engineering in the College of Engineering and the 5 United States Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory, 6 as a research scientist; and 7 WHEREAS, he continues to teach students and conduct 8 research in Iowa; and 9 WHEREAS, in recognition of his groundbreaking 10 scientific achievements, the Royal Swedish Academy of 11 Sciences awarded Dr. Shechtman the 2011 Nobel Prize in 12 Chemistry; NOW THEREFORE, 13 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate honors 14 Dr. Dan Shechtman for his groundbreaking discovery of 15 quasicrystals, his perseverance, and his contributions 16 to teaching and research at Iowa State University and 17 the Ames Laboratory, which culminated in his receipt of 18 the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. 19 -2- LSB 5863XS (2) 84 jr/nh 2/ 2