John T. Yates Jr. (August 3, 1935 – September 2015) was an American chemist. He was an investigator in the field of

surface chemistry Surface science is the study of physics, physical and chemistry, chemical phenomena that occur at the interface (chemistry), interface of two phase (matter), phases, including solid–liquid interfaces, solid–gas interfaces, solid–vacuum int ...

and physics, including both the structure and

spectroscopy Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets electromagnetic spectra. In narrower contexts, spectroscopy is the precise study of color as generalized from visible light to all bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. Spectro ...

of atoms and molecules on surfaces, the dynamics of surface processes and the development of new methods for research in surface chemistry. He worked at the

National Bureau of Standards The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into physical sc ...

(now NIST) in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, and subsequently at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...

, where he was for 25 years the R. K. Mellon Professor of Chemistry and Physics as well as the founding director of the Pittsburgh Surface Science Center before moving to the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

in 2007. Yates received his bachelor's degree from

Juniata College Juniata College () is a private liberal arts college in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1876 as a co-educational normal school, it was the first college started by members of the Church of the Brethren. It was originally founded as a cent ...

in 1956 and his doctorate in physical chemistry from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

in 1960. He was a senior visiting scholar at the

University of East Anglia The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a Public university, public research university in Norwich, England. Established in 1963 on a campus university, campus west of the city centre, the university has four faculties and twenty-six schools of ...

from 1970 to 1971. Following three years as an assistant professor at

Antioch College Antioch College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1850 by the Christian Connection and began operating in 1852 as a non-secta ...

, he joined the National Bureau of Standards as the scientific staff. Yates was awarded

Samuel Wesley Stratton Award The Samuel Wesley Stratton Award has been annually presented by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, then NBS) since 1962 for "an unusually significant research contribution to science or engineering that merits the acclaim o ...

in 1978. In 1982 he joined the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh as the first R. K. Mellon Professor of Chemistry and as the director of the University of Pittsburgh Surface Science Center, which he founded. In 1994 he was jointly appointed to the department of physics and astronomy. Yates served on the editorial boards of six journals and two-book series in surface science and catalysis. He was the co-editor and author of several books and had written more than 720 research papers. He was a member of several leading scientific organizations, including the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...

. Yates was a professor of chemistry at the

in both the engineering school and the college of arts and sciences. He died on September 26, 2015.

External links

U. Va. Faculty Page

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yates, John 20th-century American chemists University of Pittsburgh alumni 2015 deaths Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences 1935 births Scientists from Pittsburgh Chemists from Virginia Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni