RICHARDSON, Texas (April 18, 2006) — Nobel laureate Dr. Peter Agre will talk to more than 1,000 high school students from science classes around the Metroplex on Monday, May 8, at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). The winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry will deliver the Anson L. Clark Memorial Lecture on “A Life in Science is More Fun than You Think.”
Agre is vice chancellor of science and technology and a professor of cell biology and medicine at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.
Nobel Laureate Dr. Peter Agre will lecture high school students May 8 at UTD and make the argument that “A Life in Science is More Fun than You Think.” |
Despite his impressive credentials and success in his field, Agre is expected to tell students that a career in science was not a given for him when he was their age – particularly after he withdrew from a high school chemistry class rather than accept a grade of D.
“But my life in science did come to fruition, and it had many influences,” Agre said. “My experience underscores the importance of education and building relationships.”
Agre’s address will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the UTD Activities Center, the only venue on campus large enough to handle the expected crowd. Students from Dallas, Richardson, Coppell, Plano, Garland and other local communities will attend. The students will arrive on campus around noon, and will be given a t-shirt and a box lunch.
At 10 a.m. the following day, Tuesday, May 9, Agre will speak in the Kusch Auditorium to UTD faculty, staff and students and interested members of the public on the subject of aquaporin water channels. He received the Nobel Prize for his isolation of the protein needed for cellular water transport, which led to his discovery of aquaporin water channels. His achievement made it possible for fellow researchers to address illnesses that involve malfunctioning water channels, including muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis.
Agre’s appearances at UTD are sponsored by the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. For additional information on either event, please contact the school’s Diana Wilson-Willis at 972-883-4153 or Diana.willis@utdallas.edu.
The Anson L. Clark Memorial Lecture began in 1971 and has drawn distinguished speakers to the UTD campus every year since. The lecture honors the memory of a remarkable individual who amassed a sizeable fortune throughout a highly unusual and successful career – first, as an engineer, then as a physician at the Mayo Clinic and finally as a businessman in the oil and banking industries. Clark’s philanthropic activities have for many decades supported scholarly endeavors at a number of Texas colleges and universities, including the Clark Summer Research Program and the Clark Presidential Scholarship at UTD.
About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls nearly 14,500 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university’s website at www.utdallas.edu.