Richard Zare is a distinguished leader in chemical physics and laser chemistry, currently serving as the Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor in Natural Science at Stanford University. Born in 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio, he earned his B.A. in chemistry and physics from Harvard University in 1961 and completed his Ph.D. in chemical physics there in 1964. His academic journey began at MIT in 1965 before moving to the University of Colorado where he held joint appointments in chemistry and physics from 1966 to 1969. He then became a full professor at Columbia University, attaining the Higgins Professorship of Natural Science in 1975, before joining Stanford University in 1977 where he served as Chemistry Department Chair from 2005 to 2011 and was appointed as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor in 2006.
Professor Zare is world-renowned for pioneering laser-induced fluorescence as a groundbreaking method for studying chemical reaction dynamics at the molecular level, a technique that has become indispensable in laboratories worldwide for chemical analysis and detection of trace compounds. His seminal contributions to understanding molecular collision processes have transformed experimental approaches in physical chemistry, with applications spanning analytical chemistry, materials science, and astrobiology. His exceptionally influential career includes publishing over 900 papers, holding more than 50 patents, and accumulating over 35,000 citations with an H-index of approximately 104, ranking him among the top 25 most highly cited chemists globally. His research extends to examining extraterrestrial materials, including his highly cited investigation of a 4.5 billion-year-old Martian meteorite sample where he explored evidence of potential primitive life forms.
Beyond his research, Zare has significantly shaped scientific policy and community through his chairmanship of the National Science Board from 1994 to 1996 and continues to influence the field through his leadership roles as chairman of the board of directors at Annual Reviews, Inc., and service on The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation board. He remains deeply committed to education, teaching introductory chemistry annually at Stanford and developing innovative interdisciplinary courses that integrate physics and biology to explore light-matter interactions in biological systems. His lab continues to push boundaries in nanoscale chemical analysis, developing novel tools for studying phenomena from microdroplet reactions to drug delivery mechanisms. Professor Zare's enduring influence is reflected in his membership in the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and American Philosophical Society, along with eleven honorary doctorates recognizing his exceptional contributions to science and education.
