Feb 11 2013
Baylor University welcomes James Tour, Ph.D., an authority on nanoscale science and technology, as the featured lecturer in a colloquium hosted by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and the departments of physics and chemistry. The colloquium will take place Feb. 12 and 13.
James Tour (photo courtesy of Rice University)
Tour joined the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology at Rice University in 1999 and was later appointed as The T. T. and W. F. Chao Professor of Chemistry. His scientific research interests are diverse in the field of nano studies, ranging from nanoelectronics and carbon composites to science education package development using Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero.
With more than 400 research publications and 50 patents, Tour's work has gained great notoriety. His awards and accomplishments include being elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and receiving the NASA Space Act Award. In 2009, Tour was named one of the world's Top 10 chemists of the decade in a Thomson Reuters citations per publication index survey.
In addition to his scientific work, Tour serves on the board of directors for Ariel Ministries and has been a featured guest on Family Talk, a radio program hosted by James Dobson, Ph.D.
"Many people think or fear that science and Christianity are in conflict, but Professor Tour's life and career are a beautiful example of how it is possible to both dearly love Jesus and to excel and be highly respected in a scientific field," said Linda Olafsen, Ph.D., associate professor of physics in Baylor's College of Arts and Sciences.