National Science Foundation Support
for the Liquid Crystal Institute

The Liquid Crystal Institute (LCI) was founded in 1965 by Dr. Glenn H. Brown, a faculty member in Kent State's Chemistry Department from 1961-1985. Dr. Brown served as LCI director until his retirement in 1983. Other scientists at Kent joined Dr. Brown in seeking funding for liquid crystal research. Major grants came from the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health, and U.S. defense agencies. Research at the LCI, in collaboration with the Departments of Chemistry and Physics at Kent State University, helped establish the field of liquid crystals as an active area in both of these disciplines.

The National Science Foundation is a major supporter of liquid crystal research, funding more than 35 grants to individual scientists at Kent State University and nearly twenty grants to foster international collaboration with KSU researchers. In 1990, the National Science Foundation selected a consortium of Kent State University, Case Western Reserve University, and the University of Akron to serve as one of 25 Science and Technology Centers (STC) nationwide and the only STC in Ohio. The Center for Advanced Liquid Crystalline Optical Materials (ALCOM) involves over 180 primary investigators, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and support staff. Scientists direct basic research on liquid crystals and develop flat-panel display technologies. Research History of the Liquid Crystal Institute, by Dr. J. William Doane, Emeritus Director.

LCI Home Page

ALCOM Home Page

NSF's 50th Anniversary Home page