SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY commitment to teaching, service, and research, and his dedication to promoting young scientists," Friend told C&EN. The symposium wasn't entirely serious, however. The banquet entertainment included a musical rendition of Herschbach's answering machine message sung to the tune of "Frere Jacques," and a scene from AST MONTH, FRIENDS, STUDENTS, Later, a panel of scientists described rea mock opera set to the music of Habanera and colleagues gathered at Harsearch at the frontiers of chemical physics. from Carmen, in which Herschbach himvard University to celebrate the For example, Hongkun Park, an assistant self sang in the chorus. 70th birthday of chemistry proprofessor of chemistry at Harvard and fessor and Nobel Laureate DudThe symposium drew to a close with a Herschbach's academic "grandson," talked ley R. Herschbach at a symposium on the panel discussion on the societal role of sciabout single-molecule transistors to probe frontiers of chemical physics, affectionence, which focused largely on educationelectronic motion through individual molately referred to as "Dudfest 2002." ecules. Jan-Michael Rost, a physicist at the al issues. Robert L. Lichter, principal at Merrimack Higher Education Consultants Before looking forward, the symposium Max Planck Institute for Physics of Comtook a historical perspective, viewing and former executive director of the plex Systems, described work using X-ray Herschbach's career through the Camille & Henry Dreyfus Founeyes of his students and colleagues dation, urged top universities to over the years. Among others, the assume the responsibilities enpresenters included University of gendered by their leadership poCalifornia, Berkeley, professor sitions and to be seen setting emeritus of chemistry Harold S. standards for other universities to Johnston, Herschbach's underfollow, especially in education and graduate adviser at Stanford; Stanin faculty and student diversity ford chemistry professor Richard EricJ. Chaisson, an astrophysicist N. Zare, one of Herschbach's first and the director of the Wright graduate students; and UC BerkeCenter for Scientific Education ley emeritus professor of chemistry at Tufts University, encouraged 'YuanT Lee, a former postdoc with scientists to "dedicate two hours Herschbach and corecipient of the a month in a loosely organized 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry way to precollege education." J o h n s t o n told the story of CHATTING Herschbach (center) visits with Zare (right) In his concluding remarks, Herschbach's start in chemistry and Steven Buelow of Los Alamos National Laboratory Herschbach also recommended A high school football star, during a break in the symposium. ways for scientists to improve sciH e r schbach had been heavily reentific literacy in the general pubcruited to play college football and was free-electron lasers, which combine proplic. He urged scientists to subscribe to the offered both athletic and academic scholerties of synchrotrons and femtosecond magazine Science News—published by arships. He attended Stanford on an acalasers, to study the behavior of clusters of Science Service, of which Herschbach is demic scholarship —which was more genatoms. Deborah K. Watson of the Unithe chairman of the board of trustees— erous—but played freshman football versity of Oklahoma described the use of and then donate their copy to their local anyway When his coach told him not to dimensional perturbation theory to study high school library He also suggested that sign up for any lab classes in the fall quarBose-Einstein condensates. scientists seize every opportunity to chat ter of his sophomore year, he decided to At a gala banquet held at the Boston with nonscientists about science—for inhang up his cleats. Museum of Science, past and current colstance, on airplanes and at cocktail parties. Research with Johnston the summer leagues and students took the opportuniHerschbach prefers not to think of his following his sophomore year turned ty to praise Herschbach and thank him current situation as retirement, but instead Herschbach on to physics and mathematics. In his last two years at Stanford, he took nearly every math and physics course available to undergraduates. His undergraduate degree is in mathematics, although he also completed the requirements for a degree in chemistry In Herschbach's early days as a profesas a "permanent sabbatical," he said. He for the role he played in their educational sor at UC Berkeley his group "was the most now holds the position of research proand professional lives. In recognition of excitingplace to be," Zare said. "We all work- Herschbach's commitment to education, fessor, which precludes him from taking ed hard, but no one worked as hard as Dudon graduate students but not from workCynthia M. Friend, one of his colleagues ley" The group also played hard, Zare said, ing with undergraduates or postdocs. He at Harvard, announced the establishment engaging in "mortal combat" with George still intends to do research. In addition, he of the Dudley Herschbach Graduate StuC. Pimentel's group. "Certain aspects of gewill continue to interact with students and dent Award recognizing exemplary connius can't be taught," Zare said. "In that will be leading a freshman seminar this tributions to teaching and service. "The sense, Dudley was a lousy role model." year.-CELIA HENRY award was conceived because of Dudley's
HERSCHBACH AT 70
Harvard symposium celebrates the life and work of the Nobel Laureate
L
"The award was conceived because of Dudley's commitment to teaching, service, and research, and his dedication to promoting young scientists."
HTTP://PUBS.ACS.ORG/CEN
C&EN
/ OCTOBER
U ,
2002
51
