Prize Recipient


George W. Flynn
Columbia University

Citation:

"For pioneering, insightful and sustained studies of vibrational energy transfer in polyatomic molecules using a number of innovative experimental techniques, and for recent contributions to understanding of liquid-solid interfaces using scanning probe techniques."

Background:

George Flynn received his B.S. degree in 1960 from Yale University and his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1964. He did postdoctoral work in Physics at M.I.T. from 1964-1966. In 1967 he joined Columbia University's Chemistry Department as an Assistant Professor and was appointed Professor in 1976. He served as Thomas Alva Edison Professor (1986-92) and became Higgins Professor of Chemistry in 1994. From 1979-2000 he served as either Director or Co-Director of the Columbia Radiation Laboratory, and was appointed Director of the Columbia Environmental Molecular Sciences Institute in 1998. He has served as both Chair of Chemistry and Co-Chair of Chemical Engineering. His research interests include vibrational relaxation processes in molecules with "chemically significant" amounts of energy and laser temperature-jump techniques. In addition he has used scanning tunneling microscopy to study the physical, chemical and electronic properties of molecular adsorbates, with particular emphasis on the investigation of spontaneous and induced chiral separation at liquid-solid interfaces; the reaction of small organic species on iron oxide surfaces; and the elucidation of self-assembly processes important in molecular electronics. A Fellow of the American Physical Society, he is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.


Selection Committee:

William C Stwalley (Chair), Terry Miller (12/02), David Chandler ('01 Rcpnt) (12/02), Ara Apkarian (V Chair)(DCP) (12/04), Paul Brumer (DAMOP) (12/04)