Notice: We are temporarily closed as we move locations. Visit the new Da Vinci Science Center at PPL Pavilion beginning May 22.
Dr. Frank Schweighardt, longtime Da Vinci Science Center trustee and former Chairman of the Board, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who as a leader in the field of chemistry.
According to Marquis Who’s Who, “individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.”
Schweighardt came to the Da Vinci Science Center shortly after retiring from Air Products, intending solely to make a difference with visitors on its exhibit floor. A holder of more than forty American and foreign patents, Schweighardt was subsequently recruited to help the Science Center develop its Inventor’s Lab Program, known today as Young Inventors: Idea Lab and Young Inventors: Patent Lab, where talented middle school students have earned eight U.S. patents.
During his 27-year career with Air Products, Schweighardt established a new line of ultra-pure gases for use in laboratories. Schweighardt was also Chairman of the Board for the International Forum of Process Analytical Chemistry in 2003 and has been a member of several professional organizations. Schweighardt holds a doctorate in Molecular Biophysics and Physical Chemistry from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pa., and a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Seton Hall University, South Orange, N.J.
Schweighardt was the recipient of the Da Vinci Science Center’s 2014 Spirit of Verrocchio Mentorship Award – one of the Science Center’s prestigious Hall of Fame Awards, which recognizes community leaders for their passionate mentorship of the Da Vinci Science Center and its mission. In 2018, the Science Center honored Schweighardt with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Schweighardt served as the Da Vinci Science Center’s Chairman from 2010-2014. Schweighardt was also the Science Center’s interim CEO from Aug. 2008-March 2009 and was a Da Vinci Science Center Trustee from Feb. 2009-June 2018.
