George C. Schatz is a distinguished theoretical chemist whose career has profoundly shaped the field of nanoscience through rigorous computational approaches and interdisciplinary collaboration. He currently holds the prestigious Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professorship in Chemistry at Northwestern University, with concurrent appointments in Chemical and Biological Engineering, following his undergraduate studies at Clarkson University and Ph.D. at Caltech. After completing postdoctoral research at MIT, he joined Northwestern in 1976, where he has established one of the most influential theoretical chemistry groups in the country. Born in Watertown, New York in 1949, his enduring commitment to advancing scientific understanding has positioned him as a cornerstone of Northwestern's rise as a premier institution in nanoscience, particularly through his early collaborations with colleagues like Mark Ratner who helped strengthen the university's theoretical research capabilities.
Dr. Schatz's pioneering theoretical work has illuminated the optical, structural, and thermal properties of nanomaterials including plasmonic nanoparticles, DNA nanostructures, and carbon-based materials, establishing foundational principles that guide contemporary nanoscience research. He has developed seminal theories explaining dynamical processes such as gas phase and gas-surface reactions, energy transfer mechanisms, and photochemical phenomena, with his research on DNA melting in nanoparticle aggregates and thermal behavior of nanoscale lipid structures proving particularly influential for nanomedicine applications. With an extraordinary publication record spanning four books and over 1000 scientific papers, his contributions have bridged theoretical frameworks with experimental validation, often anticipating technological capabilities that only emerged decades later as he himself noted about his early 1970s insights into particle structure control. His recent investigations into quantum light phenomena and DNA properties within the cell nucleus continue to expand the frontiers of theoretical nanoscience.
As a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Schatz has significantly shaped the trajectory of theoretical chemistry through his leadership and collaborative spirit, serving as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Physical Chemistry from 2005 to 2019. His distinguished contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards including the Debye and Langmuir Awards from the American Chemical Society and the Bourke Medal from the Royal Society of Chemistry, reflecting his profound impact across international scientific communities. A dedicated mentor, he has cultivated strong interdisciplinary connections between theorists and experimentalists at Northwestern, working closely with colleagues like Richard van Dyne and Chad Mirkin to ensure his theoretical frameworks directly inform experimental design. Currently exploring quantum light studies, plasmon-enhanced energy transfer, and molecular dynamics of soft materials, his ongoing research continues to drive innovation in nanotechnology while inspiring the next generation of scientists through his rigorous theoretical approach and visionary perspective.
