The Covestro Distinguished Lectureship (a continuation of the Bayer Distinguished Lectureship) is presented annually by the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, and recognizes excellence in chemical education, outreach and research. The lecture is sponsored by Covestro LLC, a world-leading supplier of high-tech polymer materials.

2023 Covestro Distinguished Lecturer

Jennifer Lewis
Hansjorg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering, Jianming Yu Professor of Arts and Sciences Harvard University

102 Benedum Hall

March 16, 2023 and March 17, 2023

OR

April 20, 2023 and April 21, 2023

Previous Covestro Distinguished Lectures

2022

Dr. Jennifer Sinclair Curtis
Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering

University of California, Davis

 2019

Dr. Julio M. Ottino
Distinguished R.R. McCormick Institute Professor, Walter P. Murphy Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering Dean, Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

Northwestern University

2018

Dr. George Whitesides
Woodford L. and Ann A. Flowers University Professor, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Harvard University

2017

Dr. Matthew Tirrell
Dean and Founding Pritzker Director of the Institute for Molecular Engineering

University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory

2016

Dr. Gábor A. Somorjai
Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
Faculty Senior Scientist

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

2015

Dr. Kristi S. Anseth
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering

University of Colorado-Boulder

2014

Dr. Jens K. Norskov
Leland T. Edwards Professor of Chemical Engineering

Stanford University

2013

Dr. Jay D. Keasling
Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

University of California-Berkeley

2012

Dr. Arup Chakraborty
Robert T. Haslam Professor of Chemical Engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2011

Dr. James A. Dumesic
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

University of Wisconsin – Madison

2010

Dr. Jacob Israelachvili
Professor of Chemical Engineering

University of California, Santa Barbara

2009

Dr. Robert E. Cohen
St. Laurent Professor of Chemical Engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2008

Dr. Douglas C. Cameron
Chief Scientific Officer, Khosla Ventures

Menlo Park, California

2007

Dr. Paul T. Anastas
Professor in the Practice of Green Chemistry, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies

Yale University

2005

Ms. Linda J. Fisher
Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer

DuPont

2003

Dr. Buddy D. Ratner
Washington Research Foundation Endowed Professor of Bioengineering and Professor of Chemical Engineering
Director

University of Washington Engineered Biomaterials (UWEB)

2002

Dr. David A. Weitz
Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Physics

Harvard University

2001

Dr. Mildred S. Dresselhaus
Institute Professor

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2000

Dr. Nicholas Peppas
Showalter Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering

Purdue University

1999

Dr. John Deutch
Institute Professor

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

1998

Dr. Mary L. Good
Managing Member

Venture Capital Investors, LLC

1997

Dr. L. E. Scriven
Regents' Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science

University of Minnesota

1996

Dr. David Tirrell
Professor of Polymer Science and Engineering

University of Massachusetts

1995

Dr. Keith E. Gubbins
Professor of Chemical Engineering

Cornell University

1994

Dr. John H. Seinfeld
Louis E. Nohl Professor

California Institute of Technology

1993

Dr. Mark E. Davis
Professor of Chemical Engineering

California Institute of Technology

1992

Dr. Robert S. Langer
Kenneth J. Germeshausen Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology