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News 2021
Prof. Colm O’Dwyer Elected as Vice-President of The Electrochemical Society
Colm O’Dwyer, Professor in the School of Chemistry at University College Cork, has been elected 3rd Vice-President president of The Electrochemical Society (ECS) by its 8,000 members for a term beginning June 10, 2021.
ECS, founded in 1902, is the premier international Society with a mission to advance theory and practice at the forefront of electrochemical and solid-state science and technology, and allied subjects. ECS members are pioneers and leaders in their disciplines from batteries and fuel cells, to electrodeposition, corrosion and photochemistry, dielectric and electronic materials, processing and devices, and from photonics and sensors to nanotechnology. To encourage research, discussion, critical assessment, and dissemination of knowledge in these fields, the Society holds meetings, publishes scientific papers, fosters training and education of scientists and engineers, and cooperates with other organizations to promote science and technology in the public interest.
Professor O’Dwyer received his PhD in 2003 on semiconductor electrochemistry and physics and conducted postdoctoral research on ultracold atom cooling and surface science in Toulouse, France. Since 2008 as a Science Foundation Ireland Stokes Lecturer on Nanomaterials, he now leads a multidisciplinary research group at UCC developing 3D printed batteries, energy storage materials, optoelectronic materials and processes, and photonic structures. His current research interests include 3D printed energy storage devices, and real-time photonics for examining optoelectronic materials and battery materials. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Physics. In 2017 he was one of the recipients of the Bell Labs Prize. With talented students, postdocs and collaborators, Prof. O’Dwyer has coauthored over 230 peer-reviewed articles, numerous book chapters and 60 ECS Transactions articles over the years, covering most of the topical interest areas of the Society.
O’Dwyer is an ECS member for 20 years, since 2001 after attending the 199th Meeting in Washington D.C as graduate student. In that time, he has served ECS continuously in many roles. He has organized or co-organized over 35 ECS symposia in electrochemical and solid-state topics since 2007, and through the Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Subcommittee, helped deliver new mega-symposia across several ECS Divisions. He has served the Electronic and Photonics Division as an Executive Committee Member for over 12 years, and more recently as 1st Vice Chair and then as Electronic and Photonics Division Chair from 2017-2019. He has served the Society on several key committees, and as a member of the ECS Board of Directors. As an award-winning advocate of open access publication, he has also guest edited 4 Special Focus Issues for JES and JSS on semiconductor electrochemistry, thermoelectrics, and 2D materials and devices.
“Our world has changed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the way our community interacts, works, and shares knowledge, may have changed forever in some ways,” O’Dwyer said. “The success of the online element of our ECS Meetings in 2020 and 2021 was very encouraging and provides ECS with wonderful opportunities to broaden accessibility and engagement, especially where Meeting attendance is difficult for many. Adapting our engagement to a larger community worldwide is important for the future. We often say our children’s future motivates everything, and it takes a village to raise a child. This is true within ECS, and my responsibility as part of the Society leadership is to provide the platform for our younger colleagues.”
“The solutions to many issues are at the nexus of science and technology and becoming more electrochemical in nature. I am honored to be part of the ECS Executive, and with open science and exciting new initiatives within our Meetings and journals, advocating for science and maximizing accessibility to all authors across academia and industry R&D. Advocating for early career researchers, industry professionals, and underrepresented groups so that the science and technology showcased by ECS is diverse beyond standard metrics. The impact of science to society has never been more in focus than in the past year, and the mission of ECS to disseminate scientific advances and advocate for them is critically important.”
“It’s a special honour to serve as a Vice-President of the Electrochemical Society and it is my intent to ensure the diversity and impact of our members, programs, meetings and publications grow and thrive.”
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