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Published as SubjectRichard Bersohn
Dates
May 13, 1925 – November 18, 2003
Authorized Form of Name
Bersohn, Richard, 1925-2003
Biography
Abstract
Richard Bersohn was a chemical physicist, who researched molecular photodissociation and chemical kinetics. He used Förster energy transfer and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy methods to study the tertiary structure of proteins.
Important Dates
May 13, 1925Birth, New York (N.Y.).
1943Obtained BS in Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge (Mass.).
1949Obtained PhD in Chemical Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge (Mass.).
1951 – 1959Assistant Professor to Associate Professor of Chemistry, Cornell University, Ithaca (N.Y.).
1958National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellow, University of Paris.
1959 – 2003Assistant Professor to Associate Professor of Chemistry (1951-1959); Associate Professor of Chemistry (1959-1962); Professor of Chemistry (1962-1986); Chair, Department of Chemistry (1990-1996); and Higgins Professor of Natural Science (1986-2003), Columbia University, New York (N.Y.).
1971Head, Division of Chemical Physics, American Physical Society.
1972Guggenheim Fellow, University of Tel Aviv.
1981 – 1984Chair of Advisory Committee, Chemistry department, Brookhaven National Laboratory.
1984 – 1987Member, Committee on Atomic and Molecular Science, National Research Council.
1985Awarded Herbert P. Broida Prize, American Physical Society.
1985Member, National Academy of Sciences.
November 18, 2003Death, New York (N.Y.).
Occupation
Chemical physicist.
Places
Birth
Undergraduate Education
Graduate Education
Employment
Death
Subjects
Chemistry. Physical and theoretical.
Relationships
People
Advisors & Collaborators
Ippen, E. P. (Erich Peter), 1940-
Collaborated on short pulse lasers in biology research at Bell Labs.
Worked on the optical pumping field at the École Normale Supérieure together.
Lamb, Willis E. (Willis Eugene), 1913-2008
Post doctoral advisor at Columbia University.
Rentzepis, Peter M., 1934-
Collaborated on short pulse lasers in biology research at Bell Labs.
Collaborated on short pulse lasers in biology research at Bell Labs.
Van Vleck, J. H. (John Hasbrouck), 1899-1980
Ph.D. advisor at Harvard University.
Colleagues
Debye, Peter J. W. (Peter Josef William), 1884-1966
Both employed at Cornell University.
Institutions
Major Positions
Columbia University. Department of Chemistry
Associate Professor of Chemistry; Professor of Chemistry; Chair, Department of Chemistry; and Higgins Professor of Natural Science.
Cornell University. Department of Chemistry
Assistant Professor to Associate Professor of Chemistry.
Universiṭat Tel-Aviv
Guggenheim Fellow.
Université de Paris
National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellow.
Weizmann Institute of Science
Adjunct appointment.
Professional Activities & Affiliations
Member; Head, Division of Chemical Physics; and 1985 Herbert P. Broida Prize recipient.
Consultant.
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Chair of Advisory Committee, Chemistry Department.
Harvard University. Department of Physics
Obtained PhD in 1949 (Chemical Physics).
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemistry
Obtained BS in 1943.
National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)
Member.
National Research Council (U.S.)
Member, Committee on Atomic and Molecular Science.