Cava, Robert J.
Oral history interview with Robert J. Cava, 2021 April 9.
In this interview, David Zierler, Oral Historian for AIP, interviews Robert Cava, Russell Wellman Moore Professor of Chemistry at Princeton. He describes his dual appointment in the Princeton Materials Institute and he reflects on the distinctions between being a solid state and not a condensed matter chemist. Cava recounts his childhood in Brooklyn and the opportunities that led to his undergraduate admission to MIT. He discusses his studies in materials science, and his decision to stay on for a PhD to study crystallography and the properties of sulfide materials under the direction of Bernie Wuensch. Cava describes some of the advances in ceramics that was important to him, and he discusses his work on sodium electrolytes at MITs Lincoln Laboratory. He explains his decision to join the Sold State Chemistry Research Department Bell Labs, and he describes some of the exciting developments in ceramic superconductors and why superconductivity is a window onto the complexity of solids. Cava discusses the significance of the YCBO collaboration, he describes the impact of the breakup of Bell Labs and his subsequent decision to transfer to Princeton. He explains some of the cultural shifts that allowed Princeton to become more involved in applied science, and he discusses what he learned about academic politics during his time as chair of the Department of Chemistry. Cava discusses his career-long search for new compounds and studying transition metal oxides, and he describes the many advances in thermoelectronics. At the end of the interview, Cava reflects on his scientific contributions, and he emphasizes the value in science of being a good listener.
American chemist. Ph.D., Ceramics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1978. B.S., M.S., Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1974. MRS Medal, Materials Research Society (2016). Election as Foreign Fellow, The Royal Society (2016). Doctor Honoris Causa, Technical University of Gdansk (2014). Moore Foundation Materials Synthesis Investigator (2014). Graduate Mentoring Award in Natural Sciences, Princeton University (2014). Inaugural Anniversary Metal, Dept. of Physics, TU Gdansk (2014). Linus Pauling Award, American Chemical Society Northwest Section (2012). Stephanie Kwolek Award in Materials Chemistry (2012). Royal Society of Chemistry, Great Britain (2012). McGroddy Prize in New Materials, American Physical Society (2012). Humboldt Research Award, Germany (2012). Award in Inorganic Chemistry, American Chemical Society (2011). Villum Foundation Visiting Foreign Professorship (2010). Ris,̜ Technical University of Denmark (2010). Medal of Remembrance, Gdansk Technical University (2010). John J. Carty Award for the Advancement of Science (2005). National Academy of Sciences (2005). Presidents Award for Distinguished Teaching, Princeton University (2005). Election to U.S. National Academy of Sciences (2001). Source: Princeton University, Department of Chemistry.
Anderson, P. W. (Philip W.), 1923-
Cava, Robert J.
Chu, Ching-wu, 1941-
Dresselhaus, M. S.
Goodenough, John B.
Hwang, Harold Yoonsung, 1970-
Ong, N. Phuan, 1948-
Roth, Robert S. (Robert Sidney)
Wernick, J. H. (Jack Harry), 1923-
Wuensch, Bernhardt J.
Bell Telephone Laboratories
Lincoln Laboratory
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
National Institute of Standards and Technology (U.S.)
Princeton University
Ceramics.
Crystallography
Solid state chemistry.
Superconductors.
Thermoelectricity.
Topological insulators
Yttrium compounds
Interviews. aat
Oral histories. aat
Transcripts. aat
Eisenberger, Peter
Zierler, David, 1979-, interviewer.
AIP-ICOS
American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA