Dr. Hiroshi Amano delivered the 2026 Dow lecture in MSE

The Dow Lectureship for Research Excellence and Societal Impact was endowed by Dow Chemical Company in 2008 to highlight the critical role of materials science in advancing technologies that improve quality of life, such as in energy and sustainability.

Dr. Hiroshi Amano, co-inventor of the blue LED, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2014, one of the most influential scientists in modern optoelectronics, delivered this year's Dow lecture.

Dr. Amano's lecture was both intellectually profound and deeply inspiring. Our students were tremendously inspired, by the scientific achievements he shared, as well as his humility and genuine enthusiasm for supporting the next generation of researchers.