Two chemists named to professorships

illiam Jones, professor of chemistry, has been named Charles Frederick Houghton Professor and Shaul Mukamel, professor of chemistry, has been named C. E. Kenneth Mees Professor.

Jones

Jones, who is chair of the Department of Chemistry, received the honor partly for his work in organo-metallic chemistry--the study of the chemical reactions between metals and different molecules in substances such as petroleum and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). In the 1980s, he determined a way to turn certain chemicals in petroleum into other chemicals that can eventually be safely used in things like cleansers or shampoo.

More recently, Jones turned his attention to CFCs. He is studying ways to change the molecular makeup of CFCs so that instead of polluting the environment, they can be converted into safe household items like Teflon nonstick coatings for pots and pans.

Jones earned his doctorate in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1979 before coming to the University in 1980. Since then he has been the recipient of the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, Fulbright-Hays Scholarship, and Royal Society Guest Research Fellowship.

Mukamel

His colleague Mukamel has developed novel ways to observe and interpret molecular dynamics. His research focuses on how to use the briefest of laser pulses to shed light on activities such as the making and breaking of chemical bonds. These ultrafast bursts of light offer rare insights into the stream of minute forces that continually buffet all molecules. He showed how to use such techniques to probe the structure and motions of large molecules, including proteins. This work has opened up a new field of multidimensional spectroscopy, which is currently the focus of intensive experimental activity.

Mukamel, who earned his doctorate from Tel Aviv University in 1976, has received Guggenheim and Sloan fellowships, a Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, and the Alexander von Humboldt Senior Scientist Award. He also is a member of the University's Council on Graduate Studies.

The Charles Frederick Houghton Professorship was established in 1925 by Houghton's widow. Houghton was vice president of the Corning Glass Works and was active in government affairs in New York State and the state Assembly. The Mees Professorship was established in honor of the late C. E. Kenneth Mees, who headed Eastman Kodak Co.'s research laboratories for more than 40 years. In 1965, the University's observatory in the Bristol Hills was named for him.

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