Donald Sadoway

Donald R. Sadoway is the current (as of September, 2007) 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. ^[1]

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Background

Born in Oshawa, Ontario, he did both his undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Toronto, receiving his PhD in 1977. There he focused his studies on chemical metallurgy.^[2] In 1977 he received a NATO fellowship at MIT, and joined the faculty there in 1978. ^[3]

Research

As a researcher, Sadoway has focused on environmental ways to extract metals from their ores, as well as producing more efficient batteries.^[3] His research has often been driven by the desire to reduce the carbon pollution output by various industries. ^[2] He is the co-inventor of a solid polymer electrolyte. This material, used in his "sLimcell" has the capablity of allowing batteries to over twice as much power per kilogram as is possible in current lithium ion batteries.^[4]

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.^[5]

Teaching

Professor Sadoway teaches 3.091 Introduction to Solid State Chemistry,^[6] 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 enrollement in 5.111 and 5.112, the other freshman chemistry offerings at MIT, has declined. 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 only seats 450 students; 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. ^[7] In contrast, most classes at MIT are relatively small with approximately 60% of classes at MIT having fewer than 20 students.^[8]

References

1. ^ David Armstrong (Dec 26, 2005). Power in Your Hands. Forbes Magazine.
2. ^ ^{a b} Donald Sadoway Interview (August 2, 2002).
3. ^ ^{a b} Allen, Sadoway named to chairs (May 5,1999).
4. ^ The beauty of bendable batteries.
5. ^ Kurt Kleiner. Electrolysis may one day provide 'green iron'. NewScientist.com.
6. ^ Johanne Blain-Ruffin. 3.091 Course Homepage.
7. ^ Valery K. Brobbey. Overenrolled 3.091 Will Remain In 10-250 But Stream to 26-100. www-tech.mit.edu.
8. ^ MIT Rated 7th in Latest U.S. News Ranking.