Paul Barbara
Encyclopedia
Paul Frank Barbara was an American
chemist. His research interests focused on the understanding of the molecular structure
and dynamics of complex chemical systems, including organic semi-conductors
for photovoltaic applications, proton
and electron transfer
reactions, the hydrated electron and intermediates in the reverse transcription mechanism of HIV-1. His laboratory developed and applied novel ultrafast and single molecule spectroscopies to study the complexity of these chemical system.
Paul Barbara was a full professor at the University of Texas at Austin
. He held the R.J.V. Johnson-Welch Endowed Chair in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UT-Austin. He was also Director of UT-Austin’s Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology, and Senior Editor for Accounts of Chemical Research.
and completed his doctoral work in 1978 at Brown University
under the supervision of Ronald G. Lawler. From 1978 to 1980 he carried out postdoctoral work at Bell Laboratories with Peter M. Rentzepis and Louis E. Brus
. He joined the faculty of Department of Chemistry at the University of Minnesota
in 1980, achieving the rank of full professor in 1990. He moved to the University of Texas at Austin in 1998, as full professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry until his death.
in 1999. a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 1993, a fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science in 2004 and a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences
in 2006. Other awards include an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship
in 1983–85, a Presidential Young Investigator award in 1984-89, a NSF Creativity Award in 1998, Inter-American Photochemical Society Award in 2002 and the 2009 E. Bright Wilson Award in Spectroscopy
in 2008 from The American Chemical Society
.
sent him into a coma.
A memorial service was held on December 12, 2010, on UT campus to celebrate the life of Paul F. Barbara.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
chemist. His research interests focused on the understanding of the molecular structure
Molecular structure
The molecular structure of a substance is described by the combination of nuclei and electrons that comprise its constitute molecules. This includes the molecular geometry , the electronic properties of the...
and dynamics of complex chemical systems, including organic semi-conductors
Organic semiconductor
An organic semiconductor is an organic material with semiconductor properties. Single molecules, short chain and organic polymers can be semiconductive. Semiconducting small molecules include the polycyclic aromatic compounds pentacene, anthracene, and rubrene...
for photovoltaic applications, proton
Proton
The proton is a subatomic particle with the symbol or and a positive electric charge of 1 elementary charge. One or more protons are present in the nucleus of each atom, along with neutrons. The number of protons in each atom is its atomic number....
and electron transfer
Electron transfer
Electron transfer is the process by which an electron moves from an atom or a chemical species to another atom or chemical species...
reactions, the hydrated electron and intermediates in the reverse transcription mechanism of HIV-1. His laboratory developed and applied novel ultrafast and single molecule spectroscopies to study the complexity of these chemical system.
Paul Barbara was a full professor at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. He held the R.J.V. Johnson-Welch Endowed Chair in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UT-Austin. He was also Director of UT-Austin’s Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology, and Senior Editor for Accounts of Chemical Research.
Education
Paul Barbara received his bachelor’s degree in 1974 at Hofstra UniversityHofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
and completed his doctoral work in 1978 at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
under the supervision of Ronald G. Lawler. From 1978 to 1980 he carried out postdoctoral work at Bell Laboratories with Peter M. Rentzepis and Louis E. Brus
Louis E. Brus
Louis E. Brus is a professor of chemistry at Columbia University. He is the discoverer of the colloidal semi-conductor nanocrystals known as quantum dots. He is co-recipient of the 2006 R. W. Wood prize of the Optical Society of America and of the inaugural Kavli Prize for nanoscience in 2008...
. He joined the faculty of Department of Chemistry at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in 1980, achieving the rank of full professor in 1990. He moved to the University of Texas at Austin in 1998, as full professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry until his death.
Awards
Paul Barbara was named 3M-Alumni Distinguished Professor of Chemistry in 1995, elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican 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...
in 1999. a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 1993, a fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science in 2004 and a member of the United States 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...
in 2006. Other awards include an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship
Sloan Fellowship
The Sloan Research Fellowships are awarded annually by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation since 1955 to "provide support and recognition to early-career scientists and scholars". This is distinct from the Sloan Fellows in business....
in 1983–85, a Presidential Young Investigator award in 1984-89, a NSF Creativity Award in 1998, Inter-American Photochemical Society Award in 2002 and the 2009 E. Bright Wilson Award in Spectroscopy
E. Bright Wilson Award in Spectroscopy
The E. Bright Wilson Award in Spectroscopy is awarded annually by the American Chemical Society to recognize outstanding accomplishments in fundamental or applied spectroscopy in chemistry. It was first awarded in 1997 and was named in honor of the American Physical Chemist and Spectroscopy...
in 2008 from 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...
.
The Barbarians
The Barbara research group is nicknamed the ‘Barbarians’. The origin of the nickname Barbarian is currently unknown. Gilbert Walker, a professor at the Department of chemistry at the University of Toronto, recalled hearing this term for the first time at the Spring Green conference in 1988, when he was a graduate student in the Barbara group. He said,”As we were arriving at the lodge, some guys were either coming in from or on their way to skiing, and they called us “barbarians”. Carlos Silva, a professor in the Department of Physics at the université de Montréal, remembers that in the early 1990s when he was a graduate student in the Barbara group, Paul tried to set up a distribution list for his group, barbarians[at]chem.umm.edu. Carlos said, “Though the IT department of the day did not have the flexibility to do so, the term had stuck by then, even for Paul.”Death
Paul Barbara died on October 31, 2010, two weeks after a cardiac arrestCardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
sent him into a coma.
A memorial service was held on December 12, 2010, on UT campus to celebrate the life of Paul F. Barbara.
Sources
- Profile of Paul Barbara-PNAS
- Paul F. Barbara's Group Homepage
- C&E News E. Bright Wilson Award In Spectroscopy in 2009