ORNL’s Eugene P. Wigner Distinguished Lecture Series in Science, Technology, and Policy promotes dialogue among Oak Ridge researchers and renowned leaders in science, industry, and government. The invited lecturers bring distinct perspectives to the lab’s community of scientists and engineers, whose scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs target some of the world’s most pressing problems.
Albert Fert, recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics, opened the Wigner Lectures on November 4, 2013, 70 years to the day after ORNL’s Graphite Reactor reached criticality. The milestone, achieved as part of the World War II Manhattan Project, helped to usher in the Nuclear Age. Today, to fulfill its missions in clean energy, global security and scientific discovery, ORNL provides some of the world’s foremost facilities and expertise in an array of fields including material science, high-performance computing, biological science, neutron science, and nuclear science and engineering.
The Wigner Lectures are named in recognition of ORNL’s first research director, Eugene Wigner, recipient of the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physics. Wigner was both a towering figure in theoretical physics and a key contributor to the development of nuclear reactors. He established an enduring vision for the laboratory and laid the foundations for programs that continue to this day.
Hosted by ORNL's Corporate Fellows, the Distinguished Lectures are available for viewing through the links below or on the laboratory's YouTube site.
Upcoming lecturers | |
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To be determined |
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Past lecturers | |
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Samuel Ting - June 17, 2021 |
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John Martinis - February 18, 2020
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K. Barry Sharpless - May 16, 2019 |
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Sir Richard Roberts – February 6, 2019
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Michael V. Berry – April 5, 2018
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Martin Karplus – November 7, 2017
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William D. Phillips – August 9, 2017 Group Leader, Laser Cooling and Trapping, Quantum Measurement Division, Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology
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Thomas L. Friedman – May 10, 2017 |
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Yuri TS. Oganessian – January 27, 2017 |
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Charles O. Holliday, Jr. - October 17, 2016 |
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Brad Filippone - September 12, 2016 |
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Alton Romig, Jr. - June 23, 2016 |
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Andrew Briggs - March 8, 2016 |
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Roald Hoffmann - February 9, 2016
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Frances Arnold - November 2, 2015
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C. N. R. Rao - September 21, 2015
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Siegfried Hecker - April 30, 2015 |
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Harold Kroto - March 26, 2015 |
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Ada Yonath - January 15, 2015
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Susan Solomon – December 10, 2014 |
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Venkatraman Ramakrishnan - July 28, 2014 |
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Craig Barrett - April 8, 2014 |
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John Holdren - March 13, 2014 Assistant to the President for Science and Technology Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Co-Chair, President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology |
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Steven Chu - February 12, 2014 William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Physics, Stanford University Former US Secretary of Energy 1997 Nobel Laureate in Physics |
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Arun Majumdar - January 27, 2014 Vice President of Energy, Google Former Director, U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy |
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Albert Fert - November 4, 2013 Scientific Director, Unité Mixte de Physique CNRS/Thales 2007 Nobel Laureate in Physics |