Showalter Reappointed C. Eugene Bennett Chair of Chemistry

Morgantown, WV, June 7, 2006:  Dr. Kenneth Showalter is reappointed as the C. Eugene Bennett Chair of Chemistry, housed in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University.

In 2004, the Department of Chemistry became the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry in honor of the life and generosity of Dr. Bennett and his widow, Edna Bennett Pierce. Over the years, their gifts have totaled more than $6.6 million.

In 1989, Dr. Showalter was appointed Eberly Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, and eventually became the first C. Eugene Bennett Chair of Chemistry in 1996. As of August, he will be entering his third appointment with this prestigious title.

Dr. Showalter has also held appointments at the University of Leeds, U.K.; Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium; University of Copenhagen, Denmark; and the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Gesellschaft, Berlin, Germany. At WVU, Dr. Showalter’s research interests include investigations of chemical kinetics, oscillatory reactions, reaction dynamics with open chemical systems and chemical waves.

“My research program at West Virginia University is regarded as one of the world's leading research groups studying complex dynamical behavior in chemical systems,” Dr. Showalter said.

He has received numerous awards and honors, in addition to his published works. Over the years, he has published more than 100 refereed scientific papers which include four articles in Nature and three articles in Science.

Dr. Showalter reflected, “The C. Eugene Bennett Chair of Chemistry allows me to pursue this high level research and to represent West Virginia University in many prestigious professional activities.”

W-V-U