Distinguished Lecture Series: Richard Zare

Professor Zare is a giant in physical and analytical chemistry whose pioneering work on laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) transformed how we study chemical reactions at the molecular level — with downstream applications ranging from DNA sequencing and the Human Genome Project to mass spectrometric imaging of cancerous tissue. His honors include the National Medal of Science, the Wolf Prize in Chemistry, and the Benjamin Franklin Medal. He has authored more than 1,000 publications, holds nearly 100 patents, and has mentored over 150 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers across his career at MIT, Colorado, Columbia, and Stanford.