S. Dexter Squibb Distinguished Lecture in Chemistry

Ken Wagener, Butler Chaired Professor Emeritus & Butler Laboratory Director Emeritus at the University of Florida, will be UNC Asheville’s 27th S. Dexter Squibb Distinguished Lecturer. A polymer chemist, Wagener, will be speaking about the role of plastics in today’s society.

Abstract: Plastics. We use them every day, from morning to night. They are everywhere: toothbrushes, combs, containers, cell phones, carpeting, clothes, countertops, coating on wires, nonstick cooking pans, plumbing in your home, soda bottles, umbrellas, foam in mattresses, credit cards, computers, flat screen TVs, watches, suitcases, auto dashboards, car bumpers, pencils, hundreds of medical devices, the list is literally endless. Can you imagine a world without them?

Plastics are in the news all the time as well, mostly in a negative light—pollution in the seas, piled up in garbage, and microplastics in food. We see the negatives every day as well.

A brief history of the introduction of plastics will start this presentation, and then we will talk about how plastics help us live a better life. Following that will be a talk on how plastics are a negative for society.

The presentation will conclude with audience discussion and participation. Your opinion counts. Come join us for this discussion.