The 37th annual Nelson W. Taylor Lecture included talks by four noted Penn State faculty followed by a lecture from this year’s Taylor honoree, Tobin J. Marks of Northwestern University. Marks, a chemist and materials scientist, is winner of the National Medal of Science. This year’s talks were organized around the interactions of light with matter. A brief summary of each of the speakers’ remarks are noted at this web site.

Muhammad and Hina Faryad are the proud parents of their first child, a daughter names Shireen, born at 6:41 am on December 27. Muhammad is a PhD student in the ESM department, advised by Dr. Akhlesh Lakhtakia, Charles Godfrey Binder Professor in Engineering Science and Mechanics.