Prof. Michael R. Wasielewski

m-wasielewski@northwestern.edu

Michael R. Wasielewski was born in Chicago, Illinois. He received both his Bachelor of Science (1971) and Ph.D. (1975) degrees from the University of Chicago. He carried out his graduate research in physical organic chemistry under the guidance of Leon M. Stock. He then performed postdoctoral research, first with Ronald Breslow at Columbia University, and then with Joseph Katz at the Argonne National Laboratory. Following postdoctoral studies, he joined the scientific staff of the Argonne National Laboratory, where he rose through the ranks to become a Senior Scientist and Group Leader of the Molecular Photonics Group. In 1994 Wasielewski joined the faculty of Northwestern University, where he is Professor of Chemistry. He served as Chair of the Chemistry Department from 2001-2004. Wasielewski's research interests include photoinduced electron transfer and charge transport in organic molecules and materials, self-assembly of nanoscale materials, the magnetic properties of radical ion pairs, ultrafast optical and magnetic resonance techniques, materials for molecule-based opto-electronics and spintronics, and the biophysics of proteins involved in the primary processes of photosynthesis. His research has resulted in over 280 publications. Wasielewski was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1995, and has held numerous distinguished lectureships and fellowships. Among Wasielewski’s recent awards are the 2004 Photochemistry Research Award of the Inter-American Photochemical Society, the 2006 James Flack Norris Award in Physical Organic Chemistry of the American Chemical Society, and the 2008 Porter Medal for Photochemistry.