Larry L. Hench
Professor Emeritus of University of Florida
Professor Emeritus of Imperial College, London
“21st Century Challenges for Materials Science and Engineering”
10:30 a.m. – noon, October 19, Boelter 8500
Larry L. Hench, a distinguished materials scientist and discoverer of Bioglass, the first manmade material that can bond with human tissue, will deliver this year’s Nippon Sheet Glass Lecture at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Hench will discuss the 21st Century Challenges for materials science and engineering. His lecture will address three new challenges in the 21st Century that can only be met by creative use of materials technology: affordable healthcare for an aging population; enhanced homeland security; and renewable energy and global warming.
The lecture will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Boelter Hall 8500 (Boelter Penthouse) on Friday, Oct. 19. The lecture is hosted by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
Hench is a professor emeritus of the University of Florida and of Imperial College, London. He is currently director of special projects at the University of Central Florida and a visiting professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Arizona.
Nearly 4 million teeth have been saved from the consequences of periodontal disease by use of Bioglass powders, sold under the names of Perioglas and NovaBone. This development, together with the accompanying studies of the mechanisms of glass surface reactions, safe disposal of high level radioactive wastes and chemical processing of materials, has led to 60 international awards, including the MRS von Hipple Award and Distinguished Life Membership in the American Ceramic Society.
Hench has published 800 research papers, 29 books and 28 patents and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
Hench’s studies of sol-gel processing of silica led to the development of a new generation of gel-silica optical components (Gelsil), including net shape-net surface micro-optics, diffractive optics and porous optical matrices for environmental sensors tissue engineering and solid state dye lasers. Eleven companies have been founded based upon technology created in Professor Hench’s laboratories.
The Nippon Sheet Glass Company Chair is devoted to the field of ceramics and glass science, an area of vital interest to the continued progress and development of electronics, computer and aerospace technologies. UCLA Professor Bruce Dunn is the current holder of the Chair and was appointed in April 2003.
The Nippon Sheet Glass Company was established in 1918. Its headquarters are located in Osaka, Japan. The company produces flat and safety glass, fine glass, electronic products for hard disk drives and telecom equipment and automotive products.