A Conversation with Roald Hoffmann on Research, Teaching and Engagement in the 21st Century Land Grant University

It is usually argued that research enhances the quality of teaching. I prefer to think that the two are inseparable. My arguments for emphasizing teaching in a research university come from two perspectives. The first is philosophical — what constitutes understanding? The second is operational — teaching naturally enhances one’s ability (my ability, at least) to explain and to do research. 

Provost Jay Akridge will conduct a fireside chat with Professor Hoffmann following the talk and discuss the intimate connections between the three dimensions of a land grant university. 

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2019 

10:30 AM Fowler Hall, Stewart Center 

Submit your questions for Professor Hoffmann here:  https://bit.ly/2HfcKQu 

Roald Hoffmann is a renowned researcher, teacher, and author from Cornell University, where he is the Frank H. T. Rhodes Professor of Humane Letters, Emeritus. As a researcher, he has received many honors, including the 1981 Nobel Prize in Chemistry (shared with Kenichi Fukui). As a teacher, he focused on introductory chemistry and reaching out to the general public. His television course, “The World of Chemistry," first aired on PBS in 1990. As a writer, Hoffmann has carved out a land between science, poetry, and philosophy, through many essays, five non-fiction books, three plays and five published collections of poetry.