What do snowflakes and semi-conductors have in common? Physicist Randall Headrick will discuss crystallization in the first talk this semester of the College of Arts and Sciences Full Professor Lecture Series. Free and open to the public, the lecture will take place Tuesday, Feb. 5, at 4 p.m. in Waterman Building's Memorial Lounge.

Crystallization is the processes by which atoms and molecules organize themselves into patterns, both simple and intricate. In modern science and technology, the natural processes of crystallization are harnessed to produce useful materials. As traditional materials, such as silicon, approach their ultimate limits of performance at an exponentially increasing rate, there is a great need to develop new functional materials and improved processes. Headrick will give a brief description of several classes of materials of current interest.

Headrick has been a faculty member at the University of Vermont since 2001. His research interests are in the areas of thin film materials and the synthesis and processing of materials relevant to information technology and consumer electronics. He has published more than 60 journal articles and has received funding from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy. He has taught courses in physics, nanoscience, and materials science and currently serves as the program director for UVM's Materials Science graduate program. 

The College of Arts and Sciences Full Professor Lecture Series honors faculty who have recently been promoted to that top academic rank.
 
A recording of the lecture will be made available soon at the college's online media blog, and eventually at the College of Arts and Sciences website.