Exhibit Celebrates John Polanyi’s Legacy in Chemistry

The groundbreaking work of University Professor Emeritus John Polanyi, a celebrated chemist and the winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986, is the focus of a new permanent exhibit at the Lash Miller Building, home of the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts and Science.

Through video, still images and laboratory equipment, the exhibit tells the story of Polanyi’s career, including his seminal work in the field of reaction dynamics – a branch of chemistry that investigates what happens during chemical reactions.

The display includes original instruments used in Polanyi’s early research, a reproduction of the lab notebook used by his graduate student to document their experiments and a video chronicling the process of discovery – along with a replica of his Nobel Prize medal.

“It’s been my good fortune to be surrounded by brilliant colleagues and other supporters throughout my life and career,” Polanyi says. “I’m deeply humbled and grateful for this marvelous display and ongoing recognition of my life’s work.”

Polanyi’s research influenced the development of advanced instrumentation in domains such as pharmaceuticals, medicine and chemical manufacturing – including the development of the first chemical lasers.

The exhibit also captures Polanyi’s advocacy for the responsible use of science and a keen social conscience that compelled him to campaign for the elimination of nuclear weapons throughout his career. “A great university that invests in science must also strain to warn of the accompanying risks to humanity,” he says.

Read “Faith in science” by John Polanyi