Donald Sadoway
Encyclopedia
Donald Robert Sadoway is the current (as of November, 2008) John F. Elliott Professor of Materials Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
. A faculty member in the Department of Materials Science Engineering, he is a noted expert on batteries
and has done significant research on how to improve the performance and longevity of portable power sources.
, receiving his PhD in 1977. There he focused his studies on chemical metallurgy
. In 1977 he received a NATO postdoctoral fellowship from the National Research Council of Canada and came to MIT to conduct his postdoctoral research under Julian Szekely. Sadoway joined the MIT faculty in 1978.
s, as well as producing more efficient batteries. His research has often been driven by the desire to reduce the carbon pollution output by various industries. He is the co-inventor of a solid polymer
electrolyte. This material, used in his "sLimcell" has the capability of allowing batteries to offer twice as much power per kilogram as is possible in current lithium ion batteries.
In August 2006, a team that he led demonstrated the feasibility of extracting iron from its ore through molten oxide electrolysis
. This technique would eliminate the carbon emissions that are generated through traditional methods.
In 2009, Sadoway proposed a liquid metal battery that could be used in stationary energy storage systems. The battery is being funded by ARPA-E
.
In contrast to much of the Institute's learning and teaching technique, Prof. Sadoway demands that students complete one quiz of memorization, which admittedly is a small percentage (<1%) of students' final grades. He requires that students memorize the Periodic table
, saying that he would not accept the reality where an MIT student does not know where to find an element on the table. Clever mnemonics are often used to quickly memorize and subsequently forget the table.
Sadoway refers to exams as "celebrations of learning." His weekly tests are returned in no later than twenty-four hours, his recitation instructors are required to grade quickly in order to provide instant feedback.
In the fall of 2007 the number of students registering for 3.091 reached 570 students, over half the freshman class. The largest lecture hall available on campus seats 566 students, enough to amply house the class. Sadoway much prefers teaching in one of the smaller lecture halls, seating only 450; as such the Institute had to take the unprecedented step of streaming digital video of the lecture into an overflow room to accommodate all the students interested in taking the course. In contrast, most classes at MIT are relatively small with approximately 60% of classes at MIT having fewer than 20 students. The popularity of this course has reached outside of the MIT campus as a result of the MIT OpenCourseWare
initiative. This is seen in a comment by Bill Gates
who told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"... Everybody should watch chemistry lectures -- they're far better than you think. Don Sadoway, MIT -- best chemistry lessons anywhere. Unbelievable."
Professor Sadoway's lectures often include the history of science, especially with respect to the Nobel Prize. Sadoway gives out "library assignments" in which he asks students to research Nobel Prize winning papers. He begins his lectures by playing music, which has some connection with the lecture's material. He ends his lectures with five minutes of culturally relevant material, such as automotive exhaust processing or his own work on batteries.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. A faculty member in the Department of Materials Science Engineering, he is a noted expert on batteries
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
and has done significant research on how to improve the performance and longevity of portable power sources.
Background
Born March 7, 1950 in Toronto, Ontario, he did both his undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, receiving his PhD in 1977. There he focused his studies on chemical metallurgy
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
. In 1977 he received a NATO postdoctoral fellowship from the National Research Council of Canada and came to MIT to conduct his postdoctoral research under Julian Szekely. Sadoway joined the MIT faculty in 1978.
Research
As a researcher, Sadoway has focused on environmental ways to extract metals from their oreOre
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
s, as well as producing more efficient batteries. His research has often been driven by the desire to reduce the carbon pollution output by various industries. He is the co-inventor of a solid polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
electrolyte. This material, used in his "sLimcell" has the capability of allowing batteries to offer twice as much power per kilogram as is possible in current lithium ion batteries.
In August 2006, a team that he led demonstrated the feasibility of extracting iron from its ore through molten oxide electrolysis
Electrolysis
In chemistry and manufacturing, electrolysis is a method of using a direct electric current to drive an otherwise non-spontaneous chemical reaction...
. This technique would eliminate the carbon emissions that are generated through traditional methods.
In 2009, Sadoway proposed a liquid metal battery that could be used in stationary energy storage systems. The battery is being funded by ARPA-E
ARPA-E
ARPA-E, or Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy is a United States government agency to promote and fund research and development of advanced energy technologies...
.
Teaching
Professor Sadoway teaches 3.091 Introduction to Solid State Chemistry, one of the largest classes at MIT. Sadoway's animated teaching style is popular with students and freshman enrollment in the course has steadily increased while enrollment in 5.111 and 5.112, the other freshman chemistry offerings at MIT, has declined.In contrast to much of the Institute's learning and teaching technique, Prof. Sadoway demands that students complete one quiz of memorization, which admittedly is a small percentage (<1%) of students' final grades. He requires that students memorize the Periodic table
Periodic table
The periodic table of the chemical elements is a tabular display of the 118 known chemical elements organized by selected properties of their atomic structures. Elements are presented by increasing atomic number, the number of protons in an atom's atomic nucleus...
, saying that he would not accept the reality where an MIT student does not know where to find an element on the table. Clever mnemonics are often used to quickly memorize and subsequently forget the table.
Sadoway refers to exams as "celebrations of learning." His weekly tests are returned in no later than twenty-four hours, his recitation instructors are required to grade quickly in order to provide instant feedback.
In the fall of 2007 the number of students registering for 3.091 reached 570 students, over half the freshman class. The largest lecture hall available on campus seats 566 students, enough to amply house the class. Sadoway much prefers teaching in one of the smaller lecture halls, seating only 450; as such the Institute had to take the unprecedented step of streaming digital video of the lecture into an overflow room to accommodate all the students interested in taking the course. In contrast, most classes at MIT are relatively small with approximately 60% of classes at MIT having fewer than 20 students. The popularity of this course has reached outside of the MIT campus as a result of the MIT OpenCourseWare
MIT OpenCourseWare
MIT OpenCourseWare is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to put all of the educational materials from its undergraduate- and graduate-level courses online, partly free and openly available to anyone, anywhere. MIT OpenCourseWare is a large-scale, web-based publication of...
initiative. This is seen in a comment by Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
who told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
"... Everybody should watch chemistry lectures -- they're far better than you think. Don Sadoway, MIT -- best chemistry lessons anywhere. Unbelievable."
Professor Sadoway's lectures often include the history of science, especially with respect to the Nobel Prize. Sadoway gives out "library assignments" in which he asks students to research Nobel Prize winning papers. He begins his lectures by playing music, which has some connection with the lecture's material. He ends his lectures with five minutes of culturally relevant material, such as automotive exhaust processing or his own work on batteries.
External links
- Don Sadoway Playlist Appearance on WMBR's Dinnertime Sampler radio show October 2, 2002
- Innovation in Energy Storage: What I Learned in 3.091 was All I Needed to Know lecture by Donald R. Sadoway, June 5, 2010