Larry Faulkner
Serving as the 27th President Emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, Larry Faulkner was born in 1944 at Shreveport, Louisiana. He received his BS degree from the Southern Methodist University in 1966. A few years later, he was awarded with a Ph.D. in chemistry by the same university, where he currently acts as president.
Larry Faulkner actively served in the chemistry faculties of Harvard University from 1969 up to 1973, after which he moved to the University of Illinois, and finally, to the University of Texas. In addition to being a faculty member, Larry Faulkner was also the head of the Department of Chemistry, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, as well as the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois.
He is an accomplished author with over 120 published scientific papers. In addition, he has directed a total of 40 doctoral theses. Along with Allen J. Bard, Larry Faulkner authored the prominent text entitled Electromechanical Methods: Fundamentals and Applications. He has also worked alongside James Avery and Peixin He in order to come up with an impressive invention, the cybernetic potentiostat. The device makes a lasting impact on the design of other commercial and analytical instruments.
Due to his combined knowledge and expertise, Larry Faulkner received numerous recognitions including the Electrochemical Society’s Edward Goodrich Acheson Medal, the US Department of Energy Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement in Materials Chemistry, the American Chemical Society Award in Analytical Chemistry, as well as the Charles N. Reilly Award of Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry. In addition, Larry Faulkner became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2003.
Aside from his educational pursuits, Larry Faulkner is also actively involved in philanthropy as president of the private organization known as the Houston Endowment.