Our next meeting will be Monday March 11, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. at the Southern Company Services/Southern Nuclear offices at the Colonnade. We are delighted to have as Keynote Speaker Dr. Larry DeLucas, who flew on the Columbia Space Shuttle as a NASA payload specialist astronaut. Dr. DeLucas will discuss some of his structural biology research projects and biotechnology inventions. He will describe how he began working with NASA performing microgravity protein crystallization experiments on the US Space Shuttle. He will also describe his experience flying in 1992 on the Columbia Space Shuttle as a NASA payload specialist astronaut. This will include a review of his selection by NASA, the required two-year training program, the launch, landing and research performed on his 14-day mission. Dr. DeLucas’ presentation will conclude with a summary of current research underway on the International Space Station and NASA’s plans for a future astronaut mission to Mars.
Date: Monday March 11, 2019
Time: 1:00-2:00 pm
Program: Keynote Speaker- Astronaut Dr. Larry DeLucas
Place: SCS Offices at Colonnade, 3535 Colonnade Parkway, Birmingham AL 35243
Room: South Tower, Auditorium
Topic: “A Career In Science: Expect the Unexpected”
Note that we have moved our meeting location to the South Tower Auditorium. This should be more convenient as it is located on the same floor as the South Tower security desk where you will sign in. The cafeteria is on the floor above the auditorium.
Please allow ample time to find parking and sign in at the South Tower. Due to recent changes in security procedures, you may need to stop at the guard booth on the way into the complex and receive a visitor’s parking pass.
Dr. DeLucas’ Bio:
Dr. DeLucas is a Principal Scientist at the Aerospace Corporation. He was previously a Professor in the School of Optometry, Senior Scientist and Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center X-ray Core Facility, and Director of the Center for Structural Biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Dr. DeLucas received five degrees from UAB culminating in a Doctor of Optometry degree and a Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry. He also received honorary Doctor of Science degrees from the Ohio State University, Ferris State University, SUNY College of Optometry and the Illinois College of Optometry.
He has published more than 160 peer-reviewed research articles in various scientific journals, co- authored and edited several books on protein crystal growth and membrane proteins and is a co-inventor on 43 patents involving protein crystal growth, novel biotechnologies and structure- based drug design.
DeLucas was a member of the 7 person crew of Space Shuttle Columbia for Mission “STS-50”,called the United States Microgravity Laboratory-1 (USML-1) Spacelab mission. Columbia launched on June 25, 1992, returning on July 9. He traveled more than 6 million miles, completing 221 orbits of earth and logging over 331 hours in space. From 1994 to 1995, Dr. DeLucas served as the Chief Scientist for the International Space Station at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Dr. DeLucas was the Recipient of the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentorship in the UAB Graduate School (April 2015), an Inductee as a Fellow in the National Academy of Inventors (December 2013), and Recipient of the Odessa Woolfolk Community Service Award for his outstanding community and educational outreach activities (2012). He received the honorary Alumnus Award, Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (January 28, 2010), at UAB (to recognize outstanding alumni and scholarship recipients in the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics) and in 2004 he was recognized as a Top Ten Finalist for the Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Birmingham Business Journal.