The first of two talks focusing on the significance of this year's recipients of Nobel Prizes will focus on the awards in physiology or medicine, physics and peace.

Speaking will be faculty members in UD's College of Arts and Sciences, and all talks are intended for an audience of non-specialists.

Scheduled from 2-4 p.m., Friday, Oct. 23, in the theatre of the Trabant University Center, the program will open with an introduction by Doug Doren, Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.

This year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine will be awarded to Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase. Discussing this award will be Zhihao Zhang, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

The Nobel Prize in Physics will go to Charles Kao for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication and to Willard Boyle and George Smith for the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit - the CCD sensor. Speaking on this award will be Barry Walker, Professor of Physics and Astronomy.

The final speaker in the Oct. 23 program will talk about Barack Obama's selection to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” Speaking will be David Wilson, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations.

On Oct. 30, faculty will discuss the prizes in chemistry and literature and the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.

The poster is available in PDF format.