Daedalus Lecture with Amanda Mifflin

Daedalus Lectures are intended to facilitate the sharing of research among colleagues. This event is open to faculty, staff, emeriti, and invited students. If you have any questions, please email academicdeans@pugetsound.edu.

Please RSVP by March 26. The optional food service is $15 per person. Cash, check, or card accepted at the door.

• 5-5:30 p.m.: Social half-hour
• 5:30-6:30 p.m.: Lecture
• 6:30-7:30 p.m.: Dinner and conversation

Amanda Mifflin, Professor and Chair, Chemistry and Biochemistry

The surface interactions between iron oxides and organic molecules play a critical role in biogeochemical and atmospheric processes, including metal and carbon cycling, catalysis, degradation of organic pollutants, and carbo sequestration. While such interactions clearly have important environmental and climate implications, it is inherently difficult to "see" what's going on at a molecular level at surfaces. As Wolfgang Pauli once said, "God made the bulk; surfaces were invented by the devil." 

This talk will explore the difficulties in studying environmental surfaces, and present special spectroscopic techniques that make it possible to access surface-specific phenomena that may help to transform our environmental models and remediation strategies.