Dixie Forum to host lecture on material science

Discussing material science, Purdue University Professor and experimentalist Dr. Cliff Johnston will present at the next installment of Dixie State University’s weekly lecture series Dixie Forum: A Window on the World.

Johnston is set to present “Function Follows Form: Nanoscale Architecture of Nature’s First Nanomaterials” at noon on Tuesday, Sept. 24, in the Dunford Auditorium, located in the Browning Resource Center on the Dixie State campus. Admission is free, and the public is encouraged to attend.

During his Dixie Forum lecture, Johnston will explore how the structure of clay minerals plays an extraordinary role in many disciplines including medicine, energy and agriculture. Focusing on their unique and varied structures, Johnston will share why the nanometer length scales associated with clay minerals is both the reason for their utility and a challenge to their characterization.

Johnston has taught at Purdue and the University of Florida for over 34 years. His research focuses on how the molecular mechanisms of contaminants bind to mineral surfaces with an emphasis on soil chemistry. He works closely with environmental toxicologists to assess contaminant bioavailability.

Dixie Forum is a weekly lecture series designed to introduce the St. George and DSU communities to diverse ideas and personalities while widening their worldviews via a 50-minute presentation. For the next installment of Dixie Forum, Joan Meiners will present on bee biodiversity at noon on Oct. 1 in the Dunford Auditorium.