| Number 29 | John L. Burmeister, Editor | August 2002 |
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In an era when some chemistry faculty members change schools in a manner akin to changing clothes, spending one's entire academic career at one university is an almost unheard of phenomenon. Nonetheless, that is precisely what Prof. Robert H. Wood has done. His retirement, following the 2001-2002 academic year, will terminate his full-time faculty status at the U of D (although not his research activity — see later), after a career that has spanned a remarkable 45 years.
Bob received his B. S. in chemistry degree from CalTech in 1953, followed by his doctorate from UC-Berkeley in 1957. He immediately joined the U of D faculty as an instructor and rapidly rose through the ranks, becoming a full professor in 1970. He served as the Chairman of our Department from 1969 (the year Prof. William Mosher stepped down, after 23 years as the Head of the Department) to 1971.
His work on the theory and thermodynamic properties of aqueous solutions has distinguished him as a truly world class expert, and has produced some formidable statistics: >$4.9MM in research grants, 36 graduate students mentored (27 Ph.D., 9 M.S.), 201 scientific papers published, 2 patents awarded, membership on the editorial/advisory boards of four prestigious journals (Journal of Solution Chemistry, Journal of Physical Chemistry, Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data, Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics).
He, in turn, has received a bevy of well-deserved awards for these efforts, including the first James Christensen Memorial Award for Innovations in Calorimetry (1988), the Huffman Award, presented by the Calorimetry Conference (1993), and the R. A. Robinson Memorial Lectureship, presented by the Royal Society of Chemistry (1995). In 1997, he was awarded the degree "Docteur Honoris Causa" by the University of Blaise Pascal, in Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Although research has always been his first love, Bob has also been one of our very best teachers. Indeed, your Editor is still using some tricks of the trade that he learned from the master. Bob will, perhaps, be best remembered for his annual Halloween lectures, which he presented clad as Count Dracula, complete with fangs.
His research efforts, utilizing post-doctoral associates, will happily continue apace - probably as long as the $$$ fuel continues to be supplied, for Bob is truly The Ageless One.
His formal retirement is a watershed event for your Editor, for he is the last of the UD Chemistry Elders who greeted me, when I arrived in 1964, to do so. He represents a well-nigh ideal example of the complete chemistry faculty member — a role model to be emulated in every respect . Well done, thou good and faithful servant!
 Betty Painter standing by her now "former" office door. She is hoping retirment is as great as the festivities leading up to it.
Graduate students and volleyball are a natural combination |
 2002 ISCC held at Lebonon Valley College (left to right) Kristine Nolin, Valerie Dzubeck, Michele Jablonski, Allison Olszewski, Denise Birk & Todd Greco
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