The Randolph T. Major Symposium was started by an endowment from Merck and Company, Inc. in 1976 following the death of Randolph T. Major. Dr. Randolph Major, a research professor at the University of Connecticut from 1970 to 1976, played a significant role in the development of research programs at Merck.
Over the last 40 years, the R.T. Major Symposium has been a signature event in the Department of Chemistry. In addition to featuring topics of interest in the traditional areas of chemistry, it has a strong interdisciplinary component. We regard this event as an opportunity to celebrate our academic and research efforts, and we encourage participation from colleagues in other disciplines.
Dr. Lawrence E. Posner, M.A. Economics ’05, and Dr. Amy E. Newburger endowed a fund to support the UConn Department of Chemistry in its teaching and research goals and to further faculty development. Few scholarly activities embody this mission as effectively as the free exchange of ideas and findings with the brightest minds in chemistry. The Posner-Newburger Distinguished Lectures give our faculty and students the opportunity to bring preeminent scholars to our department for a lecture and a day of interaction with our faculty and students.
Past Speakers
2017:Prashant Kamat, University of Notre Dame
2016: Moungi Bawendi, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Upcoming Department Events
A curated calendar of events, seminars, and graduate student dissertations.