Science Café, the international grass-roots movement promoting casual, understandable conversations with scientists, is coming to the Upstate.
Sagacious Partners and SmartState will be hosting the inaugural Science Café Upstate on Sept. 20, from 6-8 p.m., at the NEXT Innovation Center, 411 University Ridge.
The goal is for attendees to enjoy a drink, network and learn about the work being done by research professors in a casual, laid-back environment.
This first Upstate event will feature guest speaker Dr. John Ballato of Clemson University. Ballato will discuss his cutting-edge work in optic technology and the legacy of Greenville’s own Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Charles Townes.
Ballato will explain why South Carolina can and should claim the title of “the birthplace of light.” His discussion will focus on the past, present and future uses of light, as well as South Carolina’s involvement, and will elaborate on how South Carolina played a central role in developing light, which today enables more than $7 trillion in annual global value.
Ballato is a professor of materials science and engineering and is the inaugural holder of the Sirrine Endowed Chair in Optical Fiber, which is affiliated with the SmartState Center of Economic Excellence in Optical Materials. He is the recipient of the South Carolina Governor’s Award for Scientific Research, and his collaborative work on Anderson-localizing optical fiber was chosen as one of Physics World’s Top 10 Breakthroughs for 2014. Ballato also holds 34 U.S. and foreign patents, has co-founded three start-up companies and has published more than 325 technical articles.
Register for free tickets here.
