SR 108 (LSB 5863XS (2) 84)

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 108

BY  QUIRMBACH

A Resolution recognizing Dr. Dan Shechtman of the Iowa State University College of Engineering, the United States Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory, and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology on his receipt of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

   WHEREAS, Dr. Shechtman serves as a professor of materials science and engineering at Iowa State University; research scientist at the United States Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory; and distinguished professor at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel; and
   WHEREAS, on the morning of April 8, 1982, Dr. Shechtman discovered the existence of quasicrystals, a new atomic structure for solid materials; and
   WHEREAS, this structure was previously thought to be impossible by the scientific and engineering community; and
   WHEREAS, Dr. Shechtman endured significant skepticism and criticism from professional peers but stood firm in his convictions and in the accuracy and import of this discovery; and
   WHEREAS, Dr. Shechtman’s findings were independently confirmed by other researchers around the world, including scientists at the United States Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University; and
   WHEREAS, the discovery of quasicrystals resulted in textbooks being rewritten; and
   WHEREAS, the discovery of quasicrystals has increased knowledge and the fundamental understanding of solid materials; and
   WHEREAS, in 2004, Dr. Shechtman joined Iowa State University as a professor of materials science and engineering in the College of Engineering and the United States Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory, as a research scientist; and
   WHEREAS, he continues to teach students and conduct research in Iowa; and
   WHEREAS, in recognition of his groundbreaking scientific achievements, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded Dr. Shechtman the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry; NOW THEREFORE,

   BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate honors Dr. Dan Shechtman for his groundbreaking discovery of quasicrystals, his perseverance, and his contributions to teaching and research at Iowa State University and the Ames Laboratory, which culminated in his receipt of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.