Professor Tobin Marks Inspires CityU with Cutting-Edge Lecture and Engaging Scientific Exchanges

Newswise — HKIAS Senior Fellow Professor Tobin J. Marks recently visited the City University of Hong Kong. During his visit from 5th to 15th January, Professor Marks joined various intellectual and scholarly activities, including discussions with research groups, meetings with distinguished professors, and a captivating lecture that shed light on the future of materials science and electronics.

Professor Tobin Marks engaged in a series of productive meetings with key figures in the scientific community at CityU, including Professor Chun Sing Lee, Provost and Deputy President, Professor Shuk Han Cheng, the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) and Associate Vice-President (Research), research groups led by Professor Alex Jen, Lee Shau Kee Chair Professor of Materials Science, Professor Xiaocheng Zeng, Head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Professor Xin Wang, Head of the Department of Chemistry, Professor Jinlian Hu, Director of Laboratory of Wearable Materials for Healthcare, and Professor Xinge Yu, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering. In addition to engaging with these leading scientists, Professor Marks has also interacted with emerging young scholars from the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. These meetings and events not only facilitated knowledge sharing but also fostered interdisciplinary collaboration within the scientific community at CityU.

The highlight of Professor Tobin Marks' visit was undoubtedly his HKIAS distinguished lecture titled "Making Mechanically Agile Electronics, Opto–Electronics, and Iontronics a Reality. Electroactive Polymers and Amorphous Oxides." Held on 9th January 2024, the lecture captivated the audience as Professor Marks discussed the latest advancements in bendable and flexible electronic circuitry, emphasizing the significance of electroactive polymers and amorphous oxides. He demonstrated these materials’ ability to change shape or color when exposed to electricity, showcasing various devices such as memory, computing, and color-changing devices that utilize these materials. Additionally, the lecture delved into the challenges and opportunities associated with combining these materials to create multifunctional devices, presenting a comprehensive overview of the field.

Tobin J. Marks is Vladimir N. Ipatieff Professor of Catalytic Chemistry, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Professor of Applied Physics at Northwestern University. His extensive list of accolades includes the U.S. National Medal of Science, Principe de Asturias Prize for Technical and Scientific Research, MRS Von Hippel Award, ACS Priestley Medal, and Chinese Academy of Sciences President’s International Distinguished Scientist Award, among many others. Professor Marks is also a member of the US National Academy of Engineering, the US National Academy of Sciences, and the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.

This lecture is supported in part by the Kwang Hua Educational Foundation.

More information about the lecture, please click here.