George M. Whitesides
Encyclopedia
George M. Whitesides is an American chemist
and professor
of chemistry at Harvard University
. He is best known for his work in the areas of NMR spectroscopy
, organometallic chemistry
, molecular self-assembly
, soft lithography
, microfabrication
, microfluidics
, and nanotechnology
. Whitesides is also known for publishing his "outline system" for writing scientific papers. , he has the highest Hirsch index rating of all living chemists.
in 1960 and earned a Ph.D. in chemistry
from the California Institute of Technology
in 1964. Under the tutelage of John D. Roberts
, Whitesides' graduate work focused on the use of NMR spectroscopy
in organic chemistry
. Among other research endeavors, he studied spin-spin coupling in a variety of organic compounds and the structure of Grignard reagents in solution.
in 1963 and remained there until 1982. While at MIT, he played a pivotal role in the development of the Corey-House-Posner-Whitesides reaction
, which now bears his name.
, his alma mater. He has served tenures as chairman of the Chemistry Department (1986–89) and associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (1989–92).
. Their findings were summarized what is now known as the Whitesides Report.
Whitesides has served on advisory committees for the National Science Foundation
, NASA
, and the Department of Defense
. He has also served on the National Research Council
in various capacities since 1984, including stints on the Committee on Science and Technology for Counter Terrorism and the Committee on Nanotechnology for the Intelligence Community.
, GelTex, Theravance, Surface Logix, Nano-Terra, and WMR Biomedical. Whitesides has mentored more than 300 graduate students, postdocs, and visiting scholars. He serves on the editorial advisory boards of several scientific journals, including Angewandte Chemie
, Chemistry & Biology, and Small.
Among other awards, Whitesides is the recipient of the American Chemical Society
's Award in Pure Chemistry (1975), the Arthur C. Cope Award
(1995), National Medal of Science
(1998), the Kyoto Prize
in Materials Science and Engineering (2003), the Dan David Prize
(2005), the Welch Award in Chemistry (2005), and the Priestley Medal
(2007), the highest honor conferred by the ACS.
Whitesides is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
, the National Academy of Sciences
, and the National Academy of Engineering
. He is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
.
Whitesides's most recent award comes from The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation
. George Whitesides received the 2009 Dreyfus Prize in the Chemical Sciences
on September 30, 2009, for his creation of new materials that have significantly advanced the field of chemistry and its societal benefits.
Other recent awards come from The Franklin Institute
in Philadelphia. George Whitesides was awarded the 2009 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry for his pioneering chemical research in molecular self-assembly and innovative nanofabrication techniques that have resulted in rapid, inexpensive fabrication of ultra small devices.
previously served as the executive director of the National Space Society
and as the chief of staff of NASA. He is currently the CEO and President of Virgin Galactic
. Ben Whitesides is lead singer and songwriter of The Joggers
, a rock band based in Portland, Oregon
.
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
and professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of chemistry at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He is best known for his work in the areas of NMR spectroscopy
NMR spectroscopy
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, most commonly known as NMR spectroscopy, is a research technique that exploits the magnetic properties of certain atomic nuclei to determine physical and chemical properties of atoms or the molecules in which they are contained...
, organometallic chemistry
Organometallic chemistry
Organometallic chemistry is the study of chemical compounds containing bonds between carbon and a metal. Since many compounds without such bonds are chemically similar, an alternative may be compounds containing metal-element bonds of a largely covalent character...
, molecular self-assembly
Molecular self-assembly
Molecular self-assembly is the process by which molecules adopt a defined arrangement without guidance or management from an outside source. There are two types of self-assembly, intramolecular self-assembly and intermolecular self-assembly...
, soft lithography
Soft lithography
200px|right|thumb|Figure 1 - "Inking" a stamp. PDMS stamp with pattern is placed in Ethanol and ODT solution200px|right|thumb|Figure 2 - ODT from the solution settles down onto the PDMS stamp. Stamp now has ODT attached to it which acts as the ink....
, microfabrication
Microfabrication
Microfabrication is the term that describes processes of fabrication of miniature structures, of micrometre sizes and smaller. Historically the earliest microfabrication processes were used for integrated circuit fabrication, also known as "semiconductor manufacturing" or "semiconductor device...
, microfluidics
Microfluidics
Microfluidics deals with the behavior, precise control and manipulation of fluids that are geometrically constrained to a small, typically sub-millimeter, scale.Typically, micro means one of the following features:* small volumes...
, and nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
. Whitesides is also known for publishing his "outline system" for writing scientific papers. , he has the highest Hirsch index rating of all living chemists.
Education
Whitesides attended secondary school at Phillips Andover and graduated in 1957. He received his A.B. degree from Harvard CollegeHarvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
in 1960 and earned a Ph.D. in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
from the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
in 1964. Under the tutelage of John D. Roberts
John D. Roberts
John Dombrowski Roberts is an American chemist. He has made contributions to the integration of physical chemistry, spectroscopy and organic chemistry for the understanding of chemical reaction rates....
, Whitesides' graduate work focused on the use of NMR spectroscopy
NMR spectroscopy
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, most commonly known as NMR spectroscopy, is a research technique that exploits the magnetic properties of certain atomic nuclei to determine physical and chemical properties of atoms or the molecules in which they are contained...
in organic chemistry
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
. Among other research endeavors, he studied spin-spin coupling in a variety of organic compounds and the structure of Grignard reagents in solution.
Research at MIT
Whitesides began his independent career as an assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in 1963 and remained there until 1982. While at MIT, he played a pivotal role in the development of the Corey-House-Posner-Whitesides reaction
Corey-House-Posner-Whitesides reaction
The Corey–Posner, Whitesides–House synthesis is an organic reaction that involves the reaction of a lithium dialkyl cuprate with an alkyl halide to form a new alkane, an organocopper compound and a lithium halide.-Reaction mechanism:This reaction occurs in two steps...
, which now bears his name.
Research at Harvard
In 1982, Whitesides moved his laboratory to the Department of Chemistry at Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, his alma mater. He has served tenures as chairman of the Chemistry Department (1986–89) and associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (1989–92).
Current research
Whitesides is currently the Woodford L. and Ann A. Flowers University Professor at Harvard, one of only 21 University Professorships at the institution. He maintains an active research group of over 35 graduate and postdoctoral students with a four-person office support staff and lab space covering more than 6000 square feet (557.4 m²). According to the biography on his Web site, Whitesides' current research interests include "physical and organic chemistry, materials science, biophysics, complexity, surface science, microfluidics, self-assembly, micro- and nanotechnology, science for developing economies, origin of life, and cell-surface biochemistry." The single primary objective of his lab is "to fundamentally change the paradigms of science."Policy and public service
Beyond his scientific research, Whitesides is also active in public service. He participated in the National Academies' report "Rising Above the Gathering Storm," which addressed U.S. competitiveness in science and technology. In 2002, he served as chairman of the panel that evaluated the state of chemical research in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Their findings were summarized what is now known as the Whitesides Report.
Whitesides has served on advisory committees for the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, and the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
. He has also served on the National Research Council
United States National Research Council
The National Research Council of the USA is the working arm of the United States National Academies, carrying out most of the studies done in their names.The National Academies include:* National Academy of Sciences...
in various capacities since 1984, including stints on the Committee on Science and Technology for Counter Terrorism and the Committee on Nanotechnology for the Intelligence Community.
Awards and achievements
Whitesides is the author of more than 950 scientific articles and is listed as an inventor on more than 50 patents. He ranked 5th on Thomson ISI's list of the 1000 most cited chemists from 1981-1997. Whitesides has co-founded over 12 companies with a combined market capitalization of over $20 billion. These companies include GenzymeGenzyme
Genzyme Corporation is a fully owned subsidiary of Sanofi-Aventis. Before its acquisition, Genzyme was an American biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2010, Genzyme was the world’s third-largest biotechnology company, employing more than 11,000 people around the world...
, GelTex, Theravance, Surface Logix, Nano-Terra, and WMR Biomedical. Whitesides has mentored more than 300 graduate students, postdocs, and visiting scholars. He serves on the editorial advisory boards of several scientific journals, including Angewandte Chemie
Angewandte Chemie
Angewandte Chemie is a weekly peer-reviewed scientific journal that covers all aspects of chemistry. Its impact factor was 12.730 in 2010, the highest value for a chemistry-specific journal that publishes original research...
, Chemistry & Biology, and Small.
Among other awards, Whitesides is the recipient of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
's Award in Pure Chemistry (1975), the Arthur C. Cope Award
Arthur C. Cope Award
The Arthur C. Cope Award is a prize awarded for achievement in the field of organic chemistry research. It is generally considered one of the highest honors in the field. It is sponsored by the Arthur C. Cope Fund, and has been awarded since 1973 by the American Chemical Society.Recipients...
(1995), National Medal of Science
National Medal of Science
The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and...
(1998), the Kyoto Prize
Kyoto Prize
The has been awarded annually since 1985 by the Inamori Foundation, founded by Kazuo Inamori. The prize is a Japanese award similar in intent to the Nobel Prize, as it recognizes outstanding works in the fields of philosophy, arts, science and technology...
in Materials Science and Engineering (2003), the Dan David Prize
Dan David Prize
The Dan David Prize annually awards 3 prizes of $1 million each awarded by the Dan David Foundation and Tel Aviv University to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution in the fields of science, technology, culture or social welfare. There are three prize categories - past, present and...
(2005), the Welch Award in Chemistry (2005), and the Priestley Medal
Priestley Medal
The Priestley Medal is the highest honor conferred by the American Chemical Society and is awarded for distinguished service in the field of chemistry. Established in 1922, the award is named after Joseph Priestley, the discoverer of oxygen who immigrated to the United States of America in 1794...
(2007), the highest honor conferred by the ACS.
Whitesides is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
, the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
, and the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
. He is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
.
Whitesides's most recent award comes from The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation
The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation
The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation is a New York City-based foundation founded in 1946 by chemist and investor Camille Dreyfus in honour of his brother, Henry Dreyfus...
. George Whitesides received the 2009 Dreyfus Prize in the Chemical Sciences
Dreyfus Prize in the Chemical Sciences
The Dreyfus Prize in the Chemical Sciences is an award given to an individual researcher in chemistry. The prize, awarded biennially, consists of a citation, a medal, and a monetary award of $250,000. The prize is awarded by The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc...
on September 30, 2009, for his creation of new materials that have significantly advanced the field of chemistry and its societal benefits.
Other recent awards come from The Franklin Institute
Franklin Institute
The Franklin Institute is a museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States, dating to 1824. The Institute also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.-History:On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughn Merrick and...
in Philadelphia. George Whitesides was awarded the 2009 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry for his pioneering chemical research in molecular self-assembly and innovative nanofabrication techniques that have resulted in rapid, inexpensive fabrication of ultra small devices.
Personal life
Whitesides and his wife, Barbara, have two sons, George T. and Ben. George T. WhitesidesGeorge T. Whitesides
George Thomas Whitesides is CEO and President of Virgin Galactic, a firm developing commercial space vehicles. He was previously Chief of Staff of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a position to which he was named after serving on the NASA transition team for the incoming Obama...
previously served as the executive director of the National Space Society
National Space Society
The National Space Society is an international nonprofit 501, educational, and scientific organization specializing in space advocacy...
and as the chief of staff of NASA. He is currently the CEO and President of Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic is a company within Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public, along with suborbital space science missions and orbital launches of small satellites...
. Ben Whitesides is lead singer and songwriter of The Joggers
The Joggers
The Joggers, formerly known as Stateside, are a four-piece band from Portland, Oregon. They play complex songs with elements of math rock which retain a pop sensibility. The guitar style of Ben Whitesides and the second guitarist rejects a traditional rhythm & lead style for more scale exploration...
, a rock band based in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
.
External links
- Whitesides Group Page on Orwik
- Whitesides Publication Page on Orwik
- Whitesides Contribution Page on Orwik
- Whitesides Group Homepage
- Whitesides Group Research
- Harvard Chemistry Department Listing
- Wyss Institute Listing
- ISI's list of the 1000 most cited chemists from 1981-1997
- Biographies of the Leadership of Nano-Terra
- The Whitesides Outline Policy for Writing Scientific Papers
- Notable graduates of the Phillips Academy at Andover
- Biography on the Whitesides Group home page
- Whitesides named University Professor at Harvard