Stuart A. Rice
Encyclopedia
Stuart Alan Rice is an American theoretical chemist
and physical chemist
. He is well-known as a theoretical chemist who also does experimental research, having spent much of his career working in multiple areas of physical chemistry. He is currently the Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at The University of Chicago. He received the National Medal of Science
in 1999.
, received his bachelor's degree
in 1952 from Brooklyn College
, and earned his master's
and doctorate
from Harvard University
in 1954 and 1955, respectively. He was almost unable to attend graduate school due to contracting tuberculosis
, but was cured of the disease through an experimental treatment of isoniazid
and streptomycin
. He remained at Harvard as a Junior Fellow for three years, although he spent the last two years of the fellowship doing research work at Yale University's
Chemistry Department. After the fellowship, he joined the faculty of The University of Chicago in 1957, where he has remained since.
Professor Rice has served the university in a wide variety of capacities during his forty-eight year tenure. He served as the director of the James Franck Institute (the university's center for physical chemistry
and condensed matter physics
) from 1961 to 1967. He was Chairman of the Department of Chemistry
from 1971 to 1976 and was Dean of the Physical Sciences Division from 1981 to 1995.
In addition to his work at the University, he is currently on the Board of Governors at Tel Aviv University
and has served as editor for the journals Chemical Physics Letters
and Advances in Chemical Physics
, and co-authored several physical chemistry textbook
s with Stephen Berry
and John Ross
.
research; the project shared both experimental and theoretical components, which became a hallmark of his later work.
During his time at Yale, Stuart Rice began to study the transport properties of liquid
s. He helped to determine the properties of liquid noble gas
es and methane
, while also exploring the theoretical background of transport in liquids as well, comparing the results to simulations of Lennard-Jones fluids
.
Following this work he helped to develop the theory of electronic excitations (exciton
s) in molecular crystals and liquids, eventually moving into the area of radiationless molecular transitions, beginning his own experimental work after the development of the Bixon-Jortner model, while also working with collaborators on extending the theoretical model of these transitions. This research led him to investigate the effects of quantum chaos
on excited molecules, and to couple the developing model of transitions with quantum chaos in order to attain control of the transition of excited molecules (quantum control
) through laser excitation, which was developed by other scientists at the University of Chicago.
At the same time, he also began work on understanding the electrical properties of liquid metal
s, where the lack of translational orders frustrated attempts to understand their electronic band structure
. The discrepancy between the dielectric results of reflectivity
and ellipsometry
data of liquid mercury led to work on the nature of conductivity at the liquid-vapor surface of liquid metal, ultimately showing that the existence of ion
inhomogeneities at the interface led to electronic changes in the bulk liquid that persist for several atom
ic diameters into a liquid.
Smaller research topics that Prof. Rice has published on included work on the chemistry of water
, the theory of freezing
liquids, the properties of monolayers on liquids, and confined colloid
al systems, amongst others.
, the highest scientific prize awarded in the United States, in 1999. He was awarded the Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 2011, along with Krzysztof Matyjaszewski
and Ching Tang. He is a Fellow of both the National Academy of Sciences
and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
. In 1970 Professor Rice was awarded the Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, the nation’s oldest prize for undergraduate teaching, a highly esteemed faculty award at The University of Chicago.
restaurant (a faculty club), where he has dined over 9,000 times. Rice is known to sit at the head of the Chemistry table, not because he is the most senior member of the department, but because he is very tall.
Theoretical chemistry
Theoretical chemistry seeks to provide theories that explain chemical observations. Often, it uses mathematical and computational methods that, at times, require advanced knowledge. Quantum chemistry, the application of quantum mechanics to the understanding of valency, is a major component of...
and physical chemist
Physical chemistry
Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic, atomic, subatomic, and particulate phenomena in chemical systems in terms of physical laws and concepts...
. He is well-known as a theoretical chemist who also does experimental research, having spent much of his career working in multiple areas of physical chemistry. He is currently the Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at The University of Chicago. He received the 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...
in 1999.
Education and career
Stuart Rice attended the Bronx High School of ScienceBronx High School of Science
The Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
, received his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 1952 from Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
, and earned his master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
and doctorate
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from 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...
in 1954 and 1955, respectively. He was almost unable to attend graduate school due to contracting tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, but was cured of the disease through an experimental treatment of isoniazid
Isoniazid
Isoniazid , also known as isonicotinylhydrazine , is an organic compound that is the first-line antituberculosis medication in prevention and treatment. It was first discovered in 1912, and later in 1951 it was found to be effective against tuberculosis by inhibiting its mycolic acid...
and streptomycin
Streptomycin
Streptomycin is an antibiotic drug, the first of a class of drugs called aminoglycosides to be discovered, and was the first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis. It is derived from the actinobacterium Streptomyces griseus. Streptomycin is a bactericidal antibiotic. Streptomycin cannot be given...
. He remained at Harvard as a Junior Fellow for three years, although he spent the last two years of the fellowship doing research work at Yale University's
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
Chemistry Department. After the fellowship, he joined the faculty of The University of Chicago in 1957, where he has remained since.
Professor Rice has served the university in a wide variety of capacities during his forty-eight year tenure. He served as the director of the James Franck Institute (the university's center for physical chemistry
Physical chemistry
Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic, atomic, subatomic, and particulate phenomena in chemical systems in terms of physical laws and concepts...
and condensed matter physics
Condensed matter physics
Condensed matter physics deals with the physical properties of condensed phases of matter. These properties appear when a number of atoms at the supramolecular and macromolecular scale interact strongly and adhere to each other or are otherwise highly concentrated in a system. The most familiar...
) from 1961 to 1967. He was Chairman of the Department of 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 1971 to 1976 and was Dean of the Physical Sciences Division from 1981 to 1995.
In addition to his work at the University, he is currently on the Board of Governors at Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
and has served as editor for the journals Chemical Physics Letters
Chemical Physics Letters
Chemical Physics Letters is a peer-reviewed scientific journal, published since 1967 by Elsevier. It publishes brief papers in the field of Chemical Physics. The current editors are David Clary, Villy Sundström and the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner, Ahmed Zewail....
and Advances in Chemical Physics
Advances in Chemical Physics
Advances in Chemical Physics is a peer reviewed, scientific journal in the fields of chemistry and physics and related interdisciplinary fields . The form of each publication is a book made of chapters, where all the chapters in a specific book are of a particular field...
, and co-authored several physical chemistry textbook
Textbook
A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...
s with Stephen Berry
R. Stephen Berry
R. Stephen Berry is a U.S. professor of physical chemistry.He is the James Franck Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at The University of Chicago and Special Advisor to the Director for National Security, at Argonne National Laboratory...
and John Ross
John Ross (chemist)
John Ross is Camille and Henry Dreyfus Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus, at Stanford University.-Education and career:B.S., 1948, Queens College; Ph.D., 1951, Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Honors and awards:...
.
Research
Stuart Rice began his scientific career as a high school student and published on this work. He completed his doctoral dissertation under Paul Doty, contributing to the then-emerging field of DNADNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
research; the project shared both experimental and theoretical components, which became a hallmark of his later work.
During his time at Yale, Stuart Rice began to study the transport properties of liquid
Liquid
Liquid is one of the three classical states of matter . Like a gas, a liquid is able to flow and take the shape of a container. Some liquids resist compression, while others can be compressed. Unlike a gas, a liquid does not disperse to fill every space of a container, and maintains a fairly...
s. He helped to determine the properties of liquid noble gas
Noble gas
The noble gases are a group of chemical elements with very similar properties: under standard conditions, they are all odorless, colorless, monatomic gases, with very low chemical reactivity...
es and methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
, while also exploring the theoretical background of transport in liquids as well, comparing the results to simulations of Lennard-Jones fluids
Lennard-Jones potential
The Lennard-Jones potential is a mathematically simple model that approximates the interaction between a pair of neutral atoms or molecules. A form of the potential was first proposed in 1924 by John Lennard-Jones...
.
Following this work he helped to develop the theory of electronic excitations (exciton
Exciton
An exciton is a bound state of an electron and hole which are attracted to each other by the electrostatic Coulomb force. It is an electrically neutral quasiparticle that exists in insulators, semiconductors and some liquids...
s) in molecular crystals and liquids, eventually moving into the area of radiationless molecular transitions, beginning his own experimental work after the development of the Bixon-Jortner model, while also working with collaborators on extending the theoretical model of these transitions. This research led him to investigate the effects of quantum chaos
Quantum chaos
Quantum chaos is a branch of physics which studies how chaotic classical dynamical systems can be described in terms of quantum theory. The primary question that quantum chaos seeks to answer is, "What is the relationship between quantum mechanics and classical chaos?" The correspondence principle...
on excited molecules, and to couple the developing model of transitions with quantum chaos in order to attain control of the transition of excited molecules (quantum control
Coherent control
Coherent control is a quantum mechanical based method for controlling dynamical processes with light, employing quantum interference phenomena which are controlled by shaping the phase of laser pulses. A detailed discussion of this approach can be...
) through laser excitation, which was developed by other scientists at the University of Chicago.
At the same time, he also began work on understanding the electrical properties of liquid metal
Liquid metal
Liquid Metal may refer to:* Metals in a liquid state** Metals which have a relatively low melting point, such as tin or lead.** A fusible alloy** A poor metal.* Liquid Metal , a radio channel* XM Liquid Metal, a radio channel...
s, where the lack of translational orders frustrated attempts to understand their electronic band structure
Electronic band structure
In solid-state physics, the electronic band structure of a solid describes those ranges of energy an electron is "forbidden" or "allowed" to have. Band structure derives from the diffraction of the quantum mechanical electron waves in a periodic crystal lattice with a specific crystal system and...
. The discrepancy between the dielectric results of reflectivity
Reflectivity
In optics and photometry, reflectivity is the fraction of incident radiation reflected by a surface. In general it must be treated as a directional property that is a function of the reflected direction, the incident direction, and the incident wavelength...
and ellipsometry
Ellipsometry
Ellipsometry is an optical technique for the investigation of the dielectric properties of thin films....
data of liquid mercury led to work on the nature of conductivity at the liquid-vapor surface of liquid metal, ultimately showing that the existence of ion
Ion
An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge. The name was given by physicist Michael Faraday for the substances that allow a current to pass between electrodes in a...
inhomogeneities at the interface led to electronic changes in the bulk liquid that persist for several atom
Atom
The atom is a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons...
ic diameters into a liquid.
Smaller research topics that Prof. Rice has published on included work on the chemistry of water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
, the theory of freezing
Freezing
Freezing or solidification is a phase change in which a liquid turns into a solid when its temperature is lowered below its freezing point. The reverse process is melting....
liquids, the properties of monolayers on liquids, and confined colloid
Colloid
A colloid is a substance microscopically dispersed evenly throughout another substance.A colloidal system consists of two separate phases: a dispersed phase and a continuous phase . A colloidal system may be solid, liquid, or gaseous.Many familiar substances are colloids, as shown in the chart below...
al systems, amongst others.
Honors and awards
Professor Rice's most prestigious award is the National Medal of ScienceNational 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...
, the highest scientific prize awarded in the United States, in 1999. He was awarded the Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 2011, along with Krzysztof Matyjaszewski
Krzysztof Matyjaszewski
Krzysztof Matyjaszewski is a Polish-American chemist. He is the J.C. Warner Professor of the Natural Sciences at the Carnegie Mellon University Matyjaszewski is best known for the discovery of atom transfer radical polymerization , a novel method of polymer synthesis that has revolutionized the...
and Ching Tang. He is a Fellow of both 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 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...
. In 1970 Professor Rice was awarded the Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, the nation’s oldest prize for undergraduate teaching, a highly esteemed faculty award at The University of Chicago.
Impact
Over the course of his long career Rice has shaped much debate on theoretical physical chemistry. He is cited on the National Medal of Science "for changing the very nature of modern physical chemistry through his research, teaching and writing, using imaginative approaches to both experiment and theory that have inspired a new generation of scientists." With over 100 doctoral students to his credit, Stuart Rice has had a great impact on the field of physical chemistry simply through the number of research scientists he has trained. If all of these doctors were professors, they would fill several large chemistry departments all by themselves.Personal life
Prof. Rice is also famous on campus for eating lunch almost every weekday at the university's Quadrangle ClubQuadrangle Club (University of Chicago)
The Quadrangle Club is the name of a membership club at the University of Chicago. It is located at 1155 East 57th Street in Chicago. It has a full-service dining room, a bar, several lounges, and sleeping quarters for members and/or their guests. It has 17 sleeping rooms, including 5 suites with...
restaurant (a faculty club), where he has dined over 9,000 times. Rice is known to sit at the head of the Chemistry table, not because he is the most senior member of the department, but because he is very tall.