By Eyo Nsima
Prof. Hilary Inyang, U.S Ambassador’s Distinguished Scholar to Ethiopia; and Visiting International Research Fellow, Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA), HSRC, Pretoria, is set to speak at 1st Hsai-Yang Fang Lecture, organized by the International Society of Environmental Geotechnology, ISEG, on Thursday, December 8, 2022.
Prof Inyang, who is also a South African; Visiting Professor of Geoenvironmental Engineering, at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B), Mumbai, India; and President, of the Global Institute for Sustainable Development, Advanced Analyses and Design (GISDAAD), Concord, NC, USA, would speak on, ‘Physico-Chemical Interactions and Textural Response in Geomaterials.’
The important event, scheduled to start from 9:15 – 10:15 am (Beijing Time, GMT+8) is hosted by Nanjing University, Nanjing, China and open to attendees, who can join, using, ZOOM LINK:https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81416007178?pwd=QkFtVU1Wby9Ya2NoQ3R1OTlObXlEdz09 (ID: 814 1600 7178 | Passcode: 111016).
Abstract
In an Abstract obtained by The Daily, www.thedaily-ng.com, the organisers stated: “Geomaterial strength and durability are influenced by texture-controlling processes, especially in the near-surface where materials are subjected to cycles of temperature, pressure, humidity and geochemical environment. Soil texture and structure at the macro-level are usually manifestations of micro-level processes such as grain dissolution and leaching through weathering; precipitation of some mineral phases; cation exchange; dehydration; and even radiation damage of some minerals.
“In turn, these characteristics control the evolution of soil porosity, permeability, sorption and desorption, and deformation characteristics. Being multi-mineralogic, direct application of pure thermodynamics to Physico-chemical interactions in geomaterials is problematic although it is known that thermodynamics and kinetics play significant roles, especially in clayey soils. In this regard, the specific surface area, particles size and shape, as well as the geochemical environment define the pathway of interactions in geomaterials and associated textural changes. In this brief Special Lecture, the Speaker will address some salient aspects of Physico-chemical interactions in geomaterials and their significance.
“Prof. Hsai-Yang Fang devoted more than 50 years of his life to collaborative research on many aspects of Physico-chemical interactions and their significance in environmental geotechnology. Prof. Hilary I. Inyang (the Speaker), he was a co-founder of ISEG and served as the ISEG Patron until his death recently. This Memorial Lecture is a befitting tribute to him.”
Speaker’s profile
Providing more information about the speaker, the organisers, stated: “Prof. Hilary I. Inyang, a US Ambassador’s Distinguished Scholar to Ethiopia and also a Visiting International Research Fellow of the Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA), is a world-renowned researcher, expeditionist and educator in the areas of geoenvironmental science and engineering, geohazards, energy systems and international development. He has been a reviewer of the 2017 International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report, designated reviewer of the 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR-2023) and served for two terms (1997-2001) as Chair of the Science Advisory Board (Engineering Committee) of USEPA in Washington DC, USA.
“He is a former Duke Energy Distinguished Professor and Director of the Global Institute of Energy and Environmental Systems of the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, USA: former DuPont Professor of Environmental Engineering and Science and Director of CEEST, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, USA, former President of the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria, and former Vice Chancellor of the Botswana International University of Science and Technology. He chaired the Steering Committee of the Africa Science Plans under the auspices of the International Council for Science, UNESCO and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
“Currently, he is a UNESCO Consultant on Water Security and Visiting Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B), Mumbai, India. He has authored several research proposals and won research grants from several agencies including the US National Science Foundation, Sandia National Laboratories (USA), General Electric Corporation, US Environmental Protection Agency, and the African Development Bank. He has won more than 20 professional prizes and is a former AAAS/USEPA Environmental Science and Engineering Fellow, US National Research Council Young Investigator and Eisenhower/Randolph Fellow.
“He has authored about 275 publications and served on 29 journal editorial boards. He won the 2013 Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) in science and technology and is a Fellow of both the African Academy of Science and the Geological Society of London. He is also a Proost Poet who is currently authoring 50 books of poetry.”
