John B. Goodenough

Christina Bock, president of the Board of The Electrochemical Society (ECS), congratulated John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino who today were jointly awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

“On behalf of the entire ECS community, I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to our esteemed members: John Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino on being awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry ‘for the development of Lithium-ion batteries,’” said Bock. “This is fitting recognition for the truly groundbreaking advancements these pioneers have made for our field and for the whole of humanity. Simply put, their research is the enabling science upon which the solutions to the grand challenges facing the planet—renewable energy, clean transportation, communications to name but a few—will be based. We are honored to count their almost 60 years of combined membership among our ranks.” (more…)

While most research is accomplished by graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, a number of undergraduate-only institutions are also making significant contributions to electrochemistry. The Education in Electrochemistry symposium at the 236th ECS Meeting explores the challenges these primary investigators face that those at more research focused institutions do not. The symposium addresses teaching and curriculum ideas for incorporating electrochemistry into undergraduate programs — and also provides opportunities for undergrads to showcase their work.

In “How Do We Learn Electrochemistry,” Jeffrey W. Fergus decries the lack of formal electrochemistry educational programs. (more…)

ECS’s Detroit Section is proud to present guest speaker Fabio Albano at its October 10 section meeting. He will speak on:

“Best of Both Worlds: A Marriage of Two Battery Technologies”


Fabio Albano

Vice President of Technology
NantEnergy, Inc. (formerly Fluidic Energy)
Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

When:
Thursday, 10 October, 2019

Schedule:
17:30h | Reception
18:30h | Dinner
19:30h | Speaker (more…)

Women at the Forefront of Science

As ECS celebrates the 40-year-anniversary of its first female president, Joan Berkowitz, it is important to note that ECS has a tradition of showcasing women in the sciences at its meetings. Carol A. Bessel, acting division director at the National Science Foundation (NSF), was the highlighted speaker at the annual business meeting at the 235th ECS Meeting. Valerie Browning, director of the Defense Advances Research Projects Agency (DARPA)’s Defense Sciences Office (DSO), will deliver the ECS Lecture at the plenary session of the 236th ECS Meeting. If including, recognizing, and hearing women is critical to attracting and retaining talented women in the sciences, then Bessel and Browning are shining examples of women leading the way. (more…)

ECS recently lost a devoted, accomplished member, and a cherished friend. Robert Frankenthal passed away on Wednesday, September 18.

Bob held many posts and positions within the Corrosion Division and the Society itself, serving as chair of Pittsburgh Section (1963–64), Corrosion Division chair (1980–1982), and ECS President (1993–1994). He also received numerous awards and honors, including winning the Corrosion Division H. H. Uhlig Award in 1989 and becoming a Fellow of The Electrochemical Society in 1995.

If you would like to learn more about Bob, please visit the page about him on the ECS website, which also includes a long-form interview Roque Calvo, former ECS Executive Director, conducted with him as part of the ECS Masters Series.

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Join the ECS Georgia Institute of Technology Chapter and ECS Georgia Section for a free half-day conference featuring speaker William E. Mustain. Gather at Georgia Tech to share ideas, present work, and form new collaborations with graduate students and post doc researchers in the field of electrochemistry (including fuel cells, batteries, electrocatalysis, and bio-electrochemistry).

When:  Friday, September 27, 2019

Schedule:
1000h  |     Check-in and Networking
1100h  |     Featured Talk
1200h  |     Lunch and Poster Setup
1245 h |     Student Poster Contest
1430 h |     Award Ceremony (more…)

Keeping Up With ECS

If you are an ECS member—or considering joining— you may be curious about The Electrochemical Society’s activities. ECS makes a full report to its members once a year at the Annual Society Business Meeting and Luncheon (ASBM). Here, at the spring meeting, ECS reviews the successes and challenges of the past year and outlines plans for the upcoming year. Members are called on to vote on important business. New officers are introduced and the Society’s financial position presented. ASBM is an opportunity for attendees to ask questions, meet the Society’s leadership, and hear a leading authority deliver an important address. However, not everyone can attend the ASBM. To satisfy your curiosity, you can watch the video of the proceedings and learn how active participation in ECS benefits its members greatly – and being informed is an important part of that. (more…)

Impact Canada is working on a $4.5-million project known as the Charging the Future Challenge. The goal is to accelerate made-in-Canada battery innovation, build a clean energy future, and provide economic growth in Canada. The 18-month challenge offers five finalists the opportunity to pitch their ideas for battery breakthroughs to a jury for a chance to win up to $700,000 each to develop battery prototypes, with the winner receiving a $1 million grand prize. (more…)

Koen KasWhat do Koen Kas and Valerie Browning have in common? They were both chosen to deliver The Electrochemical Society (ECS) Lecture at meeting plenary sessions. ECS selects only the most prestigious and forward thinking specialists to present these lectures. Koen Kas delivered the ECS Lecture at the 235th ECS Meeting. Valerie Browning will present the ECS Lecture at the 236th ECS Meeting. Plenary session attendees get to meet the speakers. So be sure to mark your calendar for Browning’s presentation in October at the plenary session of the ECS Meeting.

The ECS Lecture presenters speak on topics that are important for electrochemical and solid state scientists. Koen Kas is a lifetime member of ECS.  A renaissance man, Kas is known as a healthcare futurist, entrepreneur, professor of molecular oncology, acclaimed international keynote speaker, and author.

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Naoki Ota. Photo Credit: 24M

ECS’s Detroit Section is proud to present guest speaker Naoki Ota at its September section meeting. He will speak on:

“Lithium-Ion Batteries: Semi-Solid Electrode Technology—Next Generation Product / Manufacturing Platform for Lithium Ion”


Naoki Ota

President and CTO
24M Technologies, Inc.
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA (more…)