Select a decade tab to view a list of Danforth Lecturers during that time period.
Institutional affiliations are relative to the time when the lecturer spoke at Grinnell College.
2022– Andy Borovik, University of California-Irvine
2021– Héctor D. Abruña, Cornell University
- Chemistry seminar: Energy Conversion and Storage: Novel Materials and Operando Methods
- Scholars' Convocation: The Energy Landscape in the Age of Sustainability
Institutional affiliations are relative to the time when the lecturer spoke at Grinnell College.
2019– Jochen Autschbach, University at Buffalo, State University of New York
2018– Robert G. Bergman, University of California, Berkeley
- Scholars’ Convocation: Irreproducibility in the Scientific Literature, or How Often Do Scientists Tell the Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth?
- Chemistry seminar: Selective Stoichiometric and Catalytic Reactions in Water-Soluble Host-Guest Supramolecular Systems
2016– Deborah L. Swackhamer ’76, University of Minnesota
2015– Dale L. Boger, The Scripps Research Institute
- Scholars’ Convocation: Discovery of a New Therapeutic Target in an Academic Setting
- Chemistry seminar: Redesign of Vancomycin for Resistant Bacteria
2014– Joseph S. Franciso, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; 2010 President of the American Chemical Society
- Scholars’ Convocation: From Earth’s Atmosphere to Planetary Engineering of Mars: An Adventure in Chemistry
- Chemistry seminar: New Insights into HOCO Radical Chemistry
2013– Judith P. Klinman, University of California, Berkeley
- Scholars’ Convocation: After Science, There’s Laundry
- Chemistry seminar: A Family of Copper Proteins that Perform Oxidative C-H Activation at a Water Interface
2013– Harry Gray, California Institute of Technology
- Scholars’ Convocation: The 21st Century Solar Army
- Chemistry seminar: Electron Flow through Metalloproteins
2011– R. Graham Cooks, Purdue University
- Chemistry seminar: Chemical Analysis in Situ: Operating Rooms, Crime Scenes, Grocery Stores, & Factory Floors
2010– Geraldine Richmond, U. of Oregon
- Scholars’ Convocation: Going Nonlinear to Understand Environmentally Important Processes at Liquid Surfaces
- Chemistry seminar: Oil on Water: Calming the Seas but not the Science
Institutional affiliations are relative to the time when the lecturer spoke at Grinnell College.
2009– Jonas C. Peters, Mass. Inst. of Technology
- Scholars’ Convocation: The quest for earth abundant hydrogen evolution catalysts
- Chemistry seminar: Multi-electron transformations at low-coordinate iron centers
2008– Robert H. Grubbs, Calif. Inst. of Technology, 2005 Nobel Laureate in chemistry
- Chemistry seminar: Design of efficient olefin metathesis catalysts
- Scholars’ Convocation: Where fundamental chemistry can take you: Following the Olefin metathesis
2006– Peter C. Agre, Duke Univ. Medical Center, 2003 Nobel Laureate in chemistry
- Chemistry seminar: Blueprints for Cellular Plumbing System
- Scholars’ Convocation: My Life in Science: From Lake Wobegon to Stockholm
- HHMI Symposium Keynote Lecture: Aquaporin Water Channels — The Nobel Lecture
2004– Stephen J. Lippard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Scholars’ Convocation: Platinum Complexes: From DNA Damage to Curing Cancer
- Chemistry seminar: Hydrocarbon Oxidation at Non-Heme Iron Centers
2002– K. Barry Sharpless, Scripps Research Institute, 2001 Nobel Laureate in chemistry
- Scholars’ Convocation: An Asymmetric Odyssey Leading Back to Its Port of Origin
- Chemistry seminar: Searching for New Reactivity
2001– Jesse L. Beauchamp, California Institute of Technology
- Scholars’ Convocation: Probing the Interface between Solution and Gas Phase: Chemistry in Nano-droplets
- Chemistry seminar: Countering Terrorism: Scientific and Technological Challenges
2001– Mario Molina, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1995 Nobel Laureate in chemistry
- Scholars’ Convocation: The Antarctic Ozone Hole
- Chemistry seminar: Chemistry on Ice Surfaces
2000– Cynthia M. Friend, Harvard University
- Scholars’ Convocation: Science and Technology in Society
- Chemistry seminar: Environmental Surface Chemistry: NO Reduction on Oxidized Molybdenum
Institutional affiliations are relative to the time when the lecturer spoke at Grinnell College.
1999– Doug Blanchard, NASA
- Scholars’ Convocation: (Creation)2: Life on Mars
- Chemistry seminar: Isotopic Dating of Geological Materials
1999– Angelica Stacy, University of California, Berkeley
1996– Peter Kollman ’66, University of California, San Francisco
- Scholars’ Convocation: Computer Modeling in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology: Both Numbers and Beautiful Pictures Give Lots of Insight
- Chemistry seminar: Computer Imaging, Molecular Modeling, and Video Displays
1996– Dean Martin ’55, University of South Florida
- Chemistry seminar: The Chemistry of the Sea
- Scholars’ Convocation: Malthusian vs. Cornucopian Views of the Environment
1995– Carl Djerassi, Stanford University
- Scholars’ Convocation: Birth Control in the Year 2001
- Chemistry seminar: Science-in-fiction is not Science Fiction — Is it Autobiography?
1993– Margaret A. Tolbert ’79, University of Colorado
- Scholars’ Convocation: Stratospheric Ozone Depletion at the Ends of the Earth and In Between
1993– Jacqueline K. Barton, California Institute of Technology
- Scholars’ Convocation: Travels Along the DNA Helix
- Chemistry seminar: Targeting DNA with Transition Metal Complexes
1992– Shirley Malcom, American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Scholars’ Convocation: Science: Making New Connections
1991– Bassam Shakhashiri, University of Wisconsin, 2012 President of the American Chemical Society
- Scholars’ Convocation: Enhancing the Quality of Education in America
1990– R. Stephen Berry, University of Chicago
- Scholars’ Convocation: Guiding Policy for a Technological Future
Institutional affiliations are relative to the time when the lecturer spoke at Grinnell College.
1988– Clair Patterson ’43, California Institute of Technology
- Scholars’ Convocation: Effects of 7000 Years of Lead Technology on Human Cultures and Health
1987– Alfred Bader, Sigma Aldrich Co.
- Scholars’ Convocation: The Bible Through Dutch Eyes
1986– Thomas R. Cech ’70, University of Colorado, 1989 Nobel Laureate in chemistry
- Scholars’ Convocation: Catalysis by RNA
1985– George Hammond, Allied Chemical
- Scholars’ Convocation: Flexibility of Scientific Dilettantism
1984– Melvin Calvin, University of California, 1961 Nobel Laureate in chemistry
- Scholars’ Convocation: Energy Agriculture
1983– Derek Davenport, Purdue University
- Scholars’ Convocation: The Relative Unimportance of the Invective Effect in Physical Organic Chemistry
1982– Mary Good, Universal Oil Products, Inc., 1987 President of the American Chemical Society
- Scholars’ Convocation: Science and Society
1981– Herbert C. Brown, Purdue University, 1979 Nobel Laureate in chemistry
- Scholars’ Convocation: From Little Acorns to Tall Oaks - From Boranes through Organoboranes
1980– Thomas Lippincott, University of Arizona
- Scholars’ Convocation: The Boltzmann Distribution
Institutional affiliations are relative to the time when the lecturer spoke at Grinnell College.
2008– Robert H. Grubbs, Calif. Inst. of Technology, 2005 Nobel Laureate in chemistry
- Chemistry seminar: Design of efficient olefin metathesis catalysts
- Scholars’ Convocation: Where fundamental chemistry can take you: Following the Olefin metathesis
2006– Peter C. Agre, Duke Univ. Medical Center, 2003 Nobel Laureate in chemistry
- Chemistry seminar: Blueprints for Cellular Plumbing System
- Scholars’ Convocation: My Life in Science: From Lake Wobegon to Stockholm
- HHMI Symposium Keynote Lecture: Aquaporin Water Channels — The Nobel Lecture
2002– K. Barry Sharpless, Scripps Research Institute, 2001 Nobel Laureate in chemistry
- Scholars’ Convocation: An Asymmetric Odyssey Leading Back to Its Port of Origin
- Chemistry seminar: Searching for New Reactivity
2001– Mario Molina, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1995 Nobel Laureate in chemistry
- Scholars’ Convocation: The Antarctic Ozone Hole
- Chemistry seminar: Chemistry on Ice Surfaces
1986– Thomas R. Cech ’70, University of Colorado, 1989 Nobel Laureate in chemistry
- Scholars’ Convocation: Catalysis by RNA
1984– Melvin Calvin, University of California, 1961 Nobel Laureate in chemistry, 1971 President of the American Chemical Society
- Scholars’ Convocation: Energy Agriculture
1981– Herbert C. Brown, Purdue University, 1979 Nobel Laureate in chemistry
- Scholars’ Convocation: From Little Acorns to Tall Oaks — From Boranes through Organoboranes
Institutional affiliations are relative to the time when the lecturer spoke at Grinnell College.
2016– Deborah L. Swackhamer ’76, University of Minnesota
1996– Peter Kollman ’66, University of California, San Francisco
- Scholars’ Convocation: Computer Modeling in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology: Both Numbers and Beautiful Pictures Give Lots of Insight
- Chemistry seminar: Computer Imaging, Molecular Modeling, and Video Displays
1996– Dean Martin ’55, University of South Florida
- Chemistry seminar: The Chemistry of the Sea
- Scholars’ Convocation: Malthusian vs. Cornucopian Views of the Environment
1993– Margaret A. Tolbert ’79, University of Colorado
- Scholars’ Convocation: Stratospheric Ozone Depletion at the Ends of the Earth and In Between
1988– Clair Patterson ’43, California Institute of Technology
- Scholars’ Convocation: Effects of 7000 Years of Lead Technology on Human Cultures and Health
1986– Thomas R. Cech ’70, University of Colorado, 1989 Nobel Laureate in chemistry
- Scholars’ Convocation: Catalysis by RNA
