Robin Hochstrasser, Donner Professor of Physical Science, Passes Away

Robin M. Hochstrasser, a pioneer and one of the world’s foremost scientists in the application of lasers in chemical and biomedical research, died February 27, 2013. He had been a professor and distinguished researcher in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania for the past 50 years.

In 1963 Hochstrasser brought to the University modern research on how light interacts with molecules, a field known as molecular spectroscopy. His early work was concerned with the discovery of the spectroscopic properties of molecules in crystals subjected to high magnetic and electric fields and at low temperatures. In the late 1960s he, along with just a few other chemists worldwide, began to adapt various types of lasers for answering questions in chemistry and biology. This was the beginning of the “lasers in science” revolution that continues to this day. Because of the depth and breadth of his research, Hochstrasser was widely regarded as a world leader in molecular spectroscopy, who left his mark on science, not only by his own original research, but also by inspiring and creating many scientific opportunities for others.

To read more about Hochstrasser's contributions, visit here.