2026 Mitsch Lecture to focus on electrochemistry

The Hamline University Department of Chemistry will host the 2026 Mitsch Lecture in Chemistry Friday, April 10, at 2:45 p.m. in Sundin Music Hall. This year’s featured guest speaker is Henry S. White, professor of chemistry at the University of Utah. He will explore how electricity drives chemical reactions with applications across chemistry, biology and analytical science.

He has published more than 350 peer-reviewed scientific papers, holds several patents and has received numerous awards, including the Faraday Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Reilley Award of the Electroanalytical Chemistry and the Grahme Awards of the Electrochemical Society.

In his lecture, “The Impact of Creative Adventures in Electrochemical Science,” White will discuss the importance of basic science in modern society. He will trace how curiosity-driven electrochemical research, followed by decades of development and engineering, has led to major biomedical and chemical technologies, including medical diagnostics, implantable glucose sensors and advances in organic electronics. Many of these technologies now generate more than $1 billion in annual sales. The presentation will also cover recent discoveries, including studies of molecules in the gas phase and high energy radical reactions and their potential future applications.    

The Mitsch Lecture is supported by the 3M/Ronald A. Mitsch Endowed Fund, which was established in 1998. The fund promotes connections between education and industry as an essential basis for the education of chemists who are prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. If you have questions about the lecture, contact chemistry@hamline.edu.