November 7, 2017: Dr. T. Ramasami -Science and Policy

Dr. T. Ramasami visited Michigan co-sponsored by the Ford School of Public Policy, the Chemistry Department, the Office of Research, and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies. While at Michigan, he delivered talks at Ford and in Chemistry.

In Chemistry, his talk, “The Joys of Doing Useful Chemistry,” focused on his research projects that have had a direct and applied impact, particularly in India and the rest of the developing world. He spoke at length on his efforts to make leather processing more environmentally friendly, research he explained grew out of his graduate and post-graduate research on cobalt chemistry. Dr. Ramasami also talked some about his work with collagen which aimed to develop treatments for disfiguring burns. Finally, he closed with a discussion on his efforts to expand opportunities for girls and underprivileged groups to engage with science and become scientists. In fact, one of the students in the Chemistry Department received one of the fellowships that Dr. Ramasami founded. The previous day, Dr. Ramasami delivered a talk in Ford titled, “The Role of Science and Technology in Developing Countries.”