APS Member History

1	Name:	Dr. Jack David Dunitz
	Institution:	Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich
	Year Elected:	1997
	Class:	1. Mathematical and Physical Sciences
	Subdivision:	102. Chemistry and Chemical Biochemistry
	Residency:	International
	Living? :	Deceased
	Birth Date:	1923
	Death Date:	September 12, 2021

	Jack Dunitz's research interests concentrated on the use of crystal structure analysis as a tool for studying a diversity of chemical problems, such as the structure and reactivity of medium-ring compounds, ion-specificity of natural and synthetic ionophores, and molecular structure-energy relationships. From his laboratory came the method of deriving model pathways for prototypic chemical reactions from the structural information in crystal structures, thus making a connection between the "statics" of crystals and the "dynamics" of reacting chemical systems. Other work in related directions included new interpretations of atomic displacement tensors in crystals in terms of internal molecular motions, and studies of experimental electron density distributions from accurate low-temperature X-ray data. Later in his career, he turned to problems of polymorphism, phase transformations in solids and solid-state chemical reactions. Dr. Dunitz studied chemistry at Glasgow University (Ph.D. 1947) and held research fellowship at Oxford University (1946-1948, 1951-1953), the California Institute of Technology (1948-1951, 1953-1954), the U.S. National Institute of Health (1954-1955) and the Royal Institution, London (1956-1957) before accepting a professorship at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in 1957. He held that post until his retirement in 1990, when he became Emeritus Professor of Chemical Crystallography. Dr. Dunitz been elected to membership of several learned societies, including the Royal Society (1974) and has received several awards for his work. In 2001 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He has more than 300 scientific papers to his credit and is the author of "X-Ray Analysis and the Structure of Organic Molecules" (1979) and "Reflections on Symmetry in Chemistry... and Elsewhere" (1993). Jack Dunitz died on September 12, 2021 at age 98.

2	Name:	Dr. George M. Whitesides
	Institution:	Harvard University
	Year Elected:	1997
	Class:	1. Mathematical and Physical Sciences
	Subdivision:	102. Chemistry and Chemical Biochemistry
	Residency:	Resident
	Living? :	Living
	Birth Date:	1939

	George M. Whitesides is Woodford L. and Ann A. Flowers University Professor at Harvard University. Educated at Harvard University and the California Institute of Technology, he was a member of the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1963-82. He returned to Harvard in 1982, serving as chairman of the Department of Chemistry from 1986-89 and Mallinckrodt Professor of Chemistry from 1982-2004. Dr. Whitesides is unique among chemists in the breadth and quality of both his scientific research and his involvement with government and industry. He has a remarkable record of highly influential academic research in core areas of chemistry and also in areas connecting chemistry to materials science and biology. One aim of his research is to establish intellectual connections between areas often considered essentially unrelated; the other is to make new connections between first-rate basic science and important technologies. Dr. Whitesides' current research is at the borders of chemistry, biology and materials science and includes both fundamental and applied components in molecular virology, rational drug design, glycobiology, interfacial chemistry, crystal engineering, fuel cells and nano and microfabrication technology. Yet, for all of the above, he is also a professor with a deep interest and participation in teaching, not just in his research specialties but in general science for Harvard undergraduates. In addition to numerous advisory positions and professional memberships, Dr. Whitesides is the recipient of the Kyoto Prize (2003), the Dan David Award (2004), the Priestley Medal (2006) and the Welch Award (2007). George Whitesides was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1997.

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