Benjamin P. Boussert Lectureship
The Dr. Benjamin Boussert Lecture Series invites a renowned chemist to Louisiana State University each year. The seminar brings together family, friends, and the local chemistry community in memory of LSU Chemistry alumnus Benjamin Boussert.
Friday, Oct. 23, 2026
Yi Cui, Ph.D.
Fortinet Founders Professor
Faculty Director, Stanford Sustainability Accelerator
Department of Materials Science & Engineering
Department of Energy Science &Engineering
Stanford University
"Reinventing Batteries for a Sustainable Future"
Sustainable transportation, integration of renewable electricity into grids and powering AI computing centers call for innovation of next generation of batteries which are energy dense, durable, safe and scalable. To address these opportunities, my lab has been conducted research over the past 20 years on reinventing batteries through nano and materials science innovation. Our progress on developing silicon anodes, lithium metal anodes and sulfur cathodes could enable 2-4 times higher energy density than the existing lithium ion batteries. Our development of aqueous electrolyte-based batteries offers potential game-changing solutions for stationary energy storage. To understand the fundamentals of batteries, we need new tools and I will highlight our pioneering development of cryo electron microscopy and cryo XPS. I will also discuss the translation of lab innovations to markets.
3:30 PM | Life Science Annex Auditorium, A101
*Reception to follow in 100 CMB
Previous Benjamin P. Boussert Lecturers
2025 - Christine M. Micheel (Vanderbilt University)
2024 - Haitao Liu (University of Pittsburgh)
2023 - Gacoin Thierry (Ecole Polytechnique)
2022 - Bryce Sadtler (Washington University in St. Louis)
2019 - Shelley A. Claridge (Purdue University)
2018 - Robert J. Cava (Princeton University)
2017 - Emory Chan (Molecular Foundry)
2016 - Delia Milliron (University of Texas at Austin)
2014 - Paul Alivisatos (University of California)
About Benjamin Boussert
Benjamin Boussert was an LSU University Medalist who graduated with degrees in Chemistry
and Chemical Engineering in 1999. While at LSU, Benjamin conducted four years of research
under the tutelage of Dr. Robin McCarley. Benjamin’s interests in nanoscience and
sensing technologies led him to the University of California at Berkeley where he
worked toward a PhD in Physical Chemistry with Dr. Paul Alivisatos. Months before
he was to defend his dissertation, Benjamin and two friends and colleagues, Jason
Choy and Giulia Adesso, were tragically killed in an automobile accident.
Family, friends, and colleagues have established a scholarship to honor Benjamin’s memory and legacy at LSU. His parents, Anne and Christian, and his brother and sister-in-law, Joel and Kelly, have also created a substantial endowment at LSU to support the Dr. Benjamin Boussert Lecture Series for Chemistry. LSU is forever grateful for the positive impact Benjamin has had on the lives of others and for his family’s support of these memorials.