Al Hall was a founding member of the Tallahassee Scientific Society along with Penny Gilmer. His interest in establishing this community organization grew out of his and his wife’s volunteer experience as judges in local school science fairs and was instrumental in the developing the outreach efforts of TSS. He established a link to Leon County Public Schools to help promote science enrichment in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Al moved to Tallahassee from Kingston, Jamaica, in 1985 where he had previously worked as an electrical engineer from 1960 to 1984, and served as director of the Scientific Research Council in the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment. He continued his career in electrical engineering for the City of Tallahassee. Al served as the first president of TSS and continued to serve on the Board of Directors for TSS until his untimely death in 2008.

Penny Gilmer was a beloved member of the Tallahassee science community as well as an FSU award-winning chemistry faculty member. As a founding member of TSS, she helped to establish our premiere science series, Horizons. She became the first woman tenure-track professor for the Florida State University Chemistry Department in 1977. Over her years of teaching and service at the university and community at large, she put her hand in many pots spending many of her efforts advocating for policies and practices that would improve conditions in society for women and minorities. After decades doing research in biochemistry, she dedicated herself to a long-held interest—improving science education—earning a second doctorate and then directed her efforts to teach science teachers better methods and involve them in local scientific research. She retired from FSU in 2010 as the Nancy Marcus Emerita Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and passed away too early in 2019.

Sir Harry Kroto was a world-class chemist, teacher, mentor, friend and sometimes graphic designer who joined the Florida State University faculty in 2004, capping off a brilliant career that included the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of the Buckminsterfullerene molecule. The discovery of Buckminsterfullerene, otherwise known as buckyballs, opened up a new world of chemistry that included the development of new materials such as buckypaper, a feather-light material that is being tested in electronics, energy, medicine, space and transportation. Though it is light, it is also remarkably strong. The aviation industry, for example, projects that it could replace metal shielding in the Boeing 787, currently made up of 60 miles of cable. English-born to German immigrants, he developed an early interest in both chemistry and physics and ultimately received his doctorate in molecular spectroscopy from University of Sheffield. After 20 years of teaching and research at the University of Sussex and the 1985 discovery of buckyballs, his research shifted from spectroscopy to probe the consequences and possibilities associated with this new molecule. Then in 2004, he accepted the position of Francis Eppes Professor of Chemistry at FSU, where he continued his work on buckyballs where he mentored many students and younger faculty. In addition to his research agenda, he was fiercely dedicated to expanding educational opportunities. In 1995, he set up the Vega Science Trust, a British educational charity to create high quality science programming that included interviews with Nobel laureates, plus teaching resources for television and the Internet. At Florida State, he spearheaded the development of GEOSET, short for Global Educational Outreach for Science, Engineering and Technology. GEOSET is a growing online cache of video teaching modules that are available for free. He also developed several unique programs for Florida State, hosting an annual “Opening Minds” lecture series in the fall semester to help spur creativity and scientific experimentation within the university and surrounding community.

The mission of TSS to raise public awareness of science and technology in Tallahassee and the surrounding areas of North Florida resonates with Shannon’s own personal passion for science education. Her professional life has centered around pedagogical research in how best to teach (and how best students learn) science and technology. As a board member, Shannon will use her experience in project management, event planning, and working with a wide variety of scientific communities to support new membership into TSS as well as navigating potential new partnerships with community organizations.

Barry has a B.S. and Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Florida, specializing in Analytical Chemistry. He retired from the Division of Food Safety of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in 2012, and was initially hired to install the first GCMS for the Chemical Residue Bureau. While working at FDACS, he also earned a Certified Public Manager certificate. He has served at several positions in TSS, and also held several positions in the Tallahassee Astronomical Society (TAS) as well. He is interested in many areas of science and technology, and will continue to promote increasing knowledge and acceptance of science by the general public.

Barry, Environmental Manager & Chemist, Retired

“Make no judgments where you have no compassion.” –Anne McCaffrey, writer (1 Apr 1926-2011)

Owner, Technical Career Solutions, riced@techcareersns.com
Doctoral Student, FSU-ISLT, dtr06@my.fsu.edu

Demetrius Rice is the owner of Technical Career Solutions, LLC, a business that provides performance improvement and instructional design solutions for K-12 and higher education. Demetrius is currently a graduate student in the Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies program at Florida State University. Prior to his career in education, Demetrius served in United State Air Force as an aircraft maintenance technician and worked as a mechatronics technician in the electronic manufacturing field. After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics/Secondary instruction from FSU, Demetrius began devoting his career to career & technical (CTE) and STEM education programs.

Demetrius has designed, developed and implemented STEM and CTE programs throughout both Leon and Madison County School districts, including Tallahassee Community College. He has also facilitated numerous STEM workshops, exhibits and demonstrations around the city of Tallahassee for students of all ages, including educators and parents. Demetrius’ career goals are to continue working with other educators to create effective learning experiences and career development opportunities that equip others with the skills, motivation, and attitude needed to obtain and sustain a successful career in the 21st century.

Nobel Prize winner Paul A.M. Dirac is known as the father of modern physics. Dirac rose to prominence rapidly after earning his doctorate in quantum mechanics from St. John’s College at Cambridge in 1926. In 1933, he won the Nobel Prize in physics with Erwin Schrodinger for “the discovery of new productive forms of atomic theory.” As the Nobel Lecture describes, Dirac’s famous wave equation “introduced special relativity into Schrodinger’s equation.” The Nobel statement continues, “taking into account the fact that, mathematically speaking, relativity theory and quantum theory are not only distinct from each other, but also oppose each other, Dirac’s work could be considered a fruitful reconciliation between the two theories.” After retiring from his position at Cambridge in 1969, Dirac accepted an appointment at Florida State in 1972, where he continued active research, teaching and travel until his death in October 1984. Dirac’s legacy lives on as students and faculty work in the Dirac Science Library and pass by his statue on campus. Despite being world-renowned for his work in physics, Dirac led a “rather opaque life,” according to Graham Farmelo, author of “The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac.” This book is recommended for those interested in learning more behind the man associated with the new field of modern physics.