Iowa State U. professor Daniel Shechtman was named the winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize for chemistry Wednesday, for his work in quasicrystals.

“His story is really a wonderful story of perseverance,” said Richard LeSar, department chair of materials science and engineering at ISU. “What Dan did changed how we think and how we see materials.”

Shechtman, professor of materials science and engineering, has been battling to gain validity for his claim since 1982 when he discovered that atoms in certain crystals are packed in a non-repeated pattern, an observation contrary to existing theories about the atomic structure of certain alloys.

Consequentially, Shechtman was asked to leave his research group because of his controversial finding, and his research was not able to gain respect within the scientific community until recently.

“The configuration found in quasicrystals was considered impossible, and Daniel Shechtman had to fight a fierce battle against established science. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2011 has fundamentally altered how chemists conceive of solid matter,” said the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences news release.

Quasicrystals are unique because they exhibit a unique atomic structure described using the golden ratio, showing that the distance between atoms is based on the golden mean.

“It’s obviously a very very big deal for us. Nobel prizes are rare and institutions that have Nobel laureates are equally rare,” LeSar said. “It’s a recognition of the quality of professors and the work we have going on here.”

LeSar was elated about the award and was not only happy for Schechtman, but for the implications it has for Iowa State and for science itself.

“He forced us to change about solids and structure,” he said.

Shectman is currently working in Israel and was unable to be reached for comment.