Rigoberto Hernandez, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Georgia Tech, and a Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar, will present a lecture titled “Advancing Science Through Diversity” on Thursday, Feb. 25, at 4 p.m., in the Kennedy Auditorium, Taylor Science Center. The lecture, sponsored by the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the Chemistry Department, and the Literature and Creative Writing Department, is free and open to the public.
In 2014, Hernandez was recognized by the American Chemical Society with its Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences. He has also received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award; a Research Corporation Cottrell Scholar Award; an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship; and a Humboldt Research Fellowship.
He currently serves as co-director of the Center for Computational Molecular Science and Technology and director of the Open Chemistry Collaborative in Diversity Equity. Hernandez is also a board member and fellow of the American Chemical Society, as well as a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Hernandez’s research focuses on the chemical dynamics in complex environments, the dynamics of structured particles, and protein dynamics and binding. He has published over a dozen articles in journals such as ACS Central Science, Soft Matter, and The Journal of Chemical Physics.
Hernandez will also discuss “Emergent Structures of Nanoparticles” in a Chemistry Department seminar on Friday, Feb. 26, at 3 p.m., in room 3024 in the Taylor Science Center. The seminar is also free and open to the public.
