Philip William West Lectureship
The West Lectureship in Analytical Chemistry is held once each academic year at Louisiana State University and is given by an internationally known scientist who is performing research in analytical chemistry. The West Lectureship speaker is selected by graduate students pursuing analytical chemistry research, and the visit is organized and coordinated by a committee of graduate students, with help and guidance from a faculty committee.
Two talks are given. First a general talk, aimed at the broader LSU and Baton Rouge community. The second talk is more technical, appropriate for a chemistry audience.
Previous West Lectureship Speakers:
- William R. Heineman, January 18-19th, 2019, University of Cincinnati
- Mary J. Wirth, July 20th, 2016, Purdue University, W. Brooks Fortune Distinguished Professor – Analytical Chemistry
- Richard N. Zare, December 15-16th, 2014, Stanford University, Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor in Natural Science and Professor, by courtesy, of Physics
- Daniel W. Armstrong, January 30-31st, 2014, The University of Texas at Arlington, Robert A. Welch Distinguished Professor
- Robert T. Kennedy, October 25-26th, 2012, University of Michigan, Hobart Willard Distinguished
University Professor, Professor of Chemistry, College of Literature, Science, and
the Arts, Professor of Pharmacology, Medical School, Professor of Macromolecular Science
and Engineering, College of Engineering
About Professor West
Professor West was LSU’s first Boyd Professor of Chemistry, the highest professorial
rank awarded at LSU. Dr. West received his Ph.D. in 1939 from the University of Iowa,
joined the LSU faculty in 1940, and retired in 1980. During his career, Professor
West published over 180 scientific articles and three books in the field of water
treatment and analysis, polarized light microscopy, air pollution, chromatography,
industrial hygiene, and personal monitors.
Dr. West earned national science awards, including three from the American Chemical Society: the Southwest Award, the Fisher Award, and the Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science and Technology. Dr. West was a devoted educator, researcher, and entrepreneur. He founded a private company, the West-Paine Laboratories, and directed the LSU Symposium on Modern Methods of Analytical Chemistry, which brought essentially all the well-known names in analytical chemistry to the LSU campus between 1948 and 1965.