Roots of Knowledge Speaker Series: Dr. Sally Rocks

800 West University Parkway,Orem UT 84097

03 February, 2022

Description

Join us for a presentation by Dr. Sally Rocks in the beautiful Roots of Knowledge stained-glass gallery! Free and open to all. “Trashed: The Risks and Rewards of Plastics.” - Presented by Dr. Sally RocksThe course of our history and our daily lives have been shaped by the synthetic materials around us, principally plastics. From building materials to medicine, we have created materials that have transformed our world for the better. Plastics have revolutionized our lives. However, the very properties we treasure in these materials, their stability and ease of preparation, are now also what are causing harm. The synthetic materials chemistry has enabled us to create are now causing environmental damage. We created these materials through great scientific advancement, and it will take another leap of science to help us destroy them.About Dr. Sally RocksSally Rocks graduated from Bucknell University with a BS degree in Chemistry in 2004. She received her PhD from the University of Rochester in 2009 while studying the mechanisms of non-heme iron enzymes involved in the bioremediation of chlorinated pollutants. After receiving her PhD, she worked as a post-doctoral fellow at Princeton University exploring the role of bacteria in mercury methylation. Sally then moved to Utah and worked in Research and Development for FLSmidth A/S, a global equipment and process supplier to the mining and cement industries. After seven years in industry, Sally transitioned to academia and is currently an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Utah Valley University. At UVU, Sally conducts research in the areas of bio-inorganic chemistry and environmental chemistry.______________________ Roots of Knowledge is a stained-glass panorama of history and human drama. The intricate details incorporated into every window represent years of painstaking research on the events and people that shaped humankind from the days of wooly mammoths and cavemen to the iPhone. Created by Holdman Studios and installed at the UVU Fulton Library in 2016, this artistic landmark comprises 80 individual panes and took 12 years to complete.For information on where to park at UVU, please visit https://www.uvu.edu/parking/visitor-parking.html.