George and Camilla Smith, generous long-time supporters of the University of Utah, funded the Henry Eyring Lectureship in Chemistry and the Bryant A. Miner Lectureship in Chemistry in 2016.

These endowments memorialize two influential chemists in the Department’s history: Bryant A. Miner, Camilla Smith’s brother, who earned his Ph.D. in chemistry at the U in 1965 and taught countless chemists in his 43 years at Weber State University, and Henry Eyring, Camilla, and Bryant’s uncle, who established the U’s Graduate School and was one of our nation’s most renowned chemists.

These lectures are unique because of Henry Eyring and Bryant Miner’s teacher-student or mentor-mentee relationship. Eyring was the thesis advisor for his nephew’s doctoral degree. The inaugural lectures were held in tandem, featuring two outstanding chemists with the same mentor-mentee relationship. To our knowledge, there is no other program on campus with the same emphasis on this essential academic relationship.

The Smiths’ generosity is an excellent way to recognize Camilla’s uncle and brother and a lasting benefit to future students. These scientists are engaged in challenging yet rewarding fundamental research and teaching, carrying on the legacy of Henry Eyring and the many doctoral graduates of the past 70 years, including Bryant Miner.

The inaugural Henry Eyring and Bryant A. Miner Lectureships were scheduled for March 2017. The  Henry Eyring lecture was presented by Nobel Laureate Prof. Robert Grubbs (Caltech), and the Bryant Miner lecturer was presented by former graduate student and professor, Dr. Melanie Sanford (University of Michigan).