Phillip L. Geissler (March 27, 1974 – July 17, 2022) was a
theoretical chemist
Theoretical chemistry is the branch of chemistry which develops theoretical generalizations that are part of the theoretical arsenal of modern chemistry: for example, the concepts of chemical bonding, chemical reaction, valence, the surface o ...
and the Aldo De Benedictis Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at
UC Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkele ...
.
Geissler contributed to the theory and understanding of
water
Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...
, which he described as "a famously unusual liquid”. He was particularly interested in collective fluctuations that dictated kinetics in aqueous solutions,
solvation
Solvations describes the interaction of a solvent with dissolved molecules. Both ionized and uncharged molecules interact strongly with a solvent, and the strength and nature of this interaction influence many properties of the solute, includi ...
, and ion-specific effects. He examined the vibrational spectra of water and the dynamical trajectories of water models and simulated air–water interfaces. He further studied the statistical mechanics of biological polymers and heterogeneous materials; explored pathways and guiding principles for nanoscale self-assembly; and developed techniques of model and algorithm development.
Education
Geissler was born in 1974 in
Ithaca, New York
Ithaca () is a city in and the county seat of Tompkins County, New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York (state), New York, Ithaca is the largest community in the Ithaca metrop ...
. He grew up in
Charlottesville
Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the seat of government of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Quee ...
and in
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...
, graduating from
Douglas S. Freeman High School
Douglas S. Freeman High School is a public high school located in the West End of Henrico County, Virginia. It is operated by Henrico County Public Schools.
History
Part of Henrico County Public Schools,
Geissler attended
Cornell University
Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
as an undergrad from 1992 to 1996. His senior thesis was titled ''A Theory for the Dynamics of Polymer Melts''.
He received his masters' degree and PhD from UC Berkeley, graduating in 2000. He was a postdoc at UC Berkeley in 2000 and a postdoc under Eugene Shakhnovich at Harvard in 2001. He was also an
MIT Science Fellow
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 ...
from 2001 to 2003.
Research and career
Geissler joined UC Berkeley as faculty in 2003, becoming a full professor in 2012.
Geissler's research interests included chemical phenomena in
condensed phase
Condensed matter physics is the field of physics that deals with the macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of matter, especially the solid and liquid phases, that arise from electromagnetic forces between atoms and electrons. More gen ...
s,
biomolecular structure
Biomolecular structure is the intricate folded, three-dimensional shape that is formed by a molecule of protein, DNA, or RNA, and that is important to its function. The structure of these molecules may be considered at any of several length sca ...
nanomaterials
Nanomaterials describe, in principle, chemical substances or materials of which a single unit is sized (in at least one dimension) between 1 and 100 nm (the usual definition of nanoscale).
Nanomaterials research takes a materials science ...
phase transition
In physics, chemistry, and other related fields like biology, a phase transition (or phase change) is the physical process of transition between one state of a medium and another. Commonly the term is used to refer to changes among the basic Sta ...
.
Geissler established a program in
non-equilibrium statistical mechanics
In physics, statistical mechanics is a mathematical framework that applies statistical methods and probability theory to large assemblies of microscopic entities. Sometimes called statistical physics or statistical thermodynamics, its applicati ...
. He gave the 2012
Baker Lecture
A baker is a tradesperson who baking, bakes and sometimes Sales, sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery.
History
Ancient histo ...
, titled ''Why would a
small ion
Small means of insignificant size.
Small may also refer to:
Science and technology
* SMALL, an ALGOL-like programming language
* ''Small'' (journal), a nano-science publication
* <small>, an HTML element that defines smaller text
Arts and ...
adsorb
Adsorption is the adhesion of atoms, ions or molecules from a gas, liquid or dissolved solid to a surface. This process creates a film of the ''adsorbate'' on the surface of the ''adsorbent''. This process differs from absorption, in which ...
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL, Berkeley Lab) is a Federally funded research and development centers, federally funded research and development center in the Berkeley Hills, hills of Berkeley, California, United States. Established i ...
and the
California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences
The California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit research and technology commercialization institute affiliated with three University of California campuses in the San Francisco Bay Area: Univers ...
.
Geissler was an editorial committee member for ''
Annual Reviews of Physical Chemistry
Annual may refer to:
*Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year
**Yearbook
**Literary annual
*Annual plant
*Annual report
*Annual giving
*Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco
*Annuals (band), a ...
'', ''
Journal of Chemical Physics
''The Journal of Chemical Physics'' is a scientific journal published by the American Institute of Physics that carries research papers on chemical physics.Chemical Physics Letters
''Chemical Physics Letters'' is a biweekly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering research in chemical physics and physical chemistry. It was established in 1967 and is published by Elsevier. The editors-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also ...
'', and ''
Journal of Physical Chemistry
''The Journal of Physical Chemistry A'' is a scientific journal which reports research on the chemistry of molecules - including their dynamics, spectroscopy, kinetics, structure, bonding, and quantum chemistry. It is published weekly by the Ame ...
''.
Geissler received the UC Berkeley Distinguished Teaching Award in 2011.
Geissler was known for playing chemistry-themed songs on his guitar (such as "The Mole Song" or "Acids and Bases") when teaching class. He was also known for giving the same "quiz" on the first day of class.
Personal life
Geissler's hobbies and interests included
California wine
California wine production has a rich viticulture history since 1680 when
Spanish Jesuit missionaries planted ''Vitis vinifera'' vines native to the Mediterranean region in their established missions to produce wine for religious services. ...
, guitar playing, hiking, watching soccer or baseball, science fiction, and
woodworking
Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinetry, furniture making, wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning.
History
Along with stone, clay and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked b ...
.
On July 17, 2022, Geissler was hiking in
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is a national park of the United States located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab. The park preserves a colorful landscape eroded into numerous canyons, mesas, and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green Rive ...
, attempting a hike from Elephant Hill, and went missing. His body was found on July 19.