Our speakers
Our impressive line up of international speakers will highlight recent progress in thermodynamics and promote collaboration across the community.
Lennard-Jones Lectureship & Prize
George Jackson
Imperial College
The Lennard-Jones Lectureship and Prize has a long and distinguished history. Nominations are made by the Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics Group of the Royal Society of Chemistry during the planning of the Thermodynamics Conference programme. The prize recipient is then invited to give a keynote presentation at the conference.
2025 prize winner & presenter: George Jackson for his outstanding work in the field of statistical mechanics and thermodynamics.
Guggenheim Medal & Lecture
Clare McCabe
Heriot-Watt University
The Guggenheim Medal, named in honour of one of the 20th century’s most influential thermodynamicists, was established in 2014 by IChemE to recognise outstanding contributions to research in thermodynamics and complex fluids.
2025 medal winner & presenter: Clare McCabe in recognition of her seminal research contributions to computational models and methods in fluidphase thermodynamics.
Molecular Physics Lecture
Sharon Glotzer
University of Michigan
The Molecular Physics Lecture, a highlight of the Thermodynamics Conference, is sponsored by the Taylor & Francis Group, publishers of Molecular Physics. It showcases cutting-edge research in molecular physics and its thermodynamic applications.
Plenary Speakers
Jadran Vrabec
Technical University Berlin
Andreas Paul Fröba
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)
Keynote Speakers
Ed Maginn
Notre Dame University
Arthi Jayaraman
University of Delaware
Fabian Jirasek
Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau
Sondre K. Schnell
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Christopher Wormald prize & presentation - TBA
Nominations invited by
31 March 2026
Deadline: 31 March 2026
The Christopher J. Wormald Prize is awarded biennially at the Thermodynamics Conference to the most outstanding postgraduate research presented at the conference, as nominated by members of the community. The prize honours the legacy of Christopher J. Wormald and recognises an exceptional graduate student's contribution to the field of thermodynamics research.
Prize: £500 (€575) and an invitation to present the winning paper at Thermodynamics 2026 Conference. Attendance and presentation are required. In exceptional cases, joint winners may be declared.
Eligibility: Open to PhD students and recent graduates (PhD completed since the September 2024 Conference). Work must be part of the candidate’s PhD and within the scope of the conference.
Entry requirements: Two-page extended abstract of the research, a letter of recommendation (with PhD study dates) from the supervisor or equivalent referee.
Submission: Email the Conference Chairmen on thermodynamics2026@imperial.ac.uk with subject line “Prize Nomination”.
Entries will be judged on quality, originality, and the nominee’s individual contribution, as outlined in the recommendation letter.
Registration (reduced fee for winner/s) for Thermodynamics 2026 will be required to be eligible for the prize.
Deadline: 31 March 2026