Iowa State is eager to welcome back Nobel Prize recipient Dan Shechtman, professor of materials science and engineering. Shechtman joined the company of more than 500 Nobel Prize winners when he received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Dec. 10.

Shechtman will appear at a news conference Tuesday, from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Technical and Administrative Services Facility, Room 205.

Following the conference, students will be given a chance to get autographs and pictures with the laureate from 12 to 2 p.m. in the Oak Room of the Memorial Union.

The three-decade-old discovery of quasicrystals led to years of criticism for Shechtman, who ultimately was determined correct in his findings. The quasicrystal discovery was doubted because the crystals’ structure did not match that of the widely accepted knowledge about crystals.

He was researching and teaching at the Israel Institute of Technology when he was declared the winner of the prize that has been given for the past 110 years, but he has had an appointment at Iowa State with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory since 2004.

Shechtman will also lecture on his discovery at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union.