Mario J. Molina
The information listed below is current as of the date the transcript was finalized.
Interview Details
Interview Sessions
Abstract of Interview
Mario Molina grew up Mexico City, Mexico, one of eight children. His father was a lawyer and judge, his stepmother a teacher and housewife. Molina liked music and played the violin seriously. He also loved science, particularly chemistry; encouraged by a chemist aunt, he set up a home lab in a bathroom. He spent his middle-school years in Switzerland in order to learn German, and returned to Mexico for high school. He liked physics and math.
Molina studied chemical engineering at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). On his own he developed a chemical catalyst to blow polyurethane foam; with friends he established a monopolistic business in a garage. He did a master’s degree in polymer kinetics at the University of Freiburg, where he met Theodore Vermeulen and decided to apply to the University of California, Berkeley. Using lasers, he completed a PhD and did postdoctoral work in molecular dynamics in George Pimentel’s lab. He also married during this time.
Molina next moved to the University of California, Irvine, to F. Sherwood Rowland’s lab, becoming interested in certain industrial chemicals, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and their movements in the atmosphere, discovering that the dissolution of CFC affected the ozone layer. This led to a publication in Nature of his ozone depletion theory and the recognition of ozone as chemically active. Molina moved to the California Institute of Technology’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to do more hands-on experimentation on the Antarctic ozone hole, with particular attention to the relationship between chlorine and ozone. Reaction from the scientific community and the public was at first muted or even skeptical, but media publication and Congressional testimony eventually convinced everyone, including even E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, of the seriousness of the problem. CFC aerosols and coolants were banned; ultimately the Montreal Protocol, the first global attempt to limit harm to the atmosphere, was signed.
Wanting to return to academic life, to deal with policy issues, and to have more influence in the environmental chemistry field, Molina accepted a professorship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His focus turned to the more complicated chemistry on the surface of the planet, especially in Mexico City. His work has improved the air quality in Mexico City considerably. He won the first Nobel Prize for environmental science and is one of only three Mexicans to have won the prize. He has established scholarships at MIT and in Mexico City. He was selected to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) and the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Wanting to continue in PCAST, to open the Mario Molina Center for Strategic Studies on Energy and the Environment in Mexico City, and to do research – which he could not do while at MIT - Molina moved to the University of California, San Diego. There he collaborates on research into particles in the lower atmosphere, working on air quality with Mexican government, and contributing to policy ideas about climate change. He says the Montreal Protocol was relatively easy because it was focused on a small conclusion that all signatories could easily see and that was relatively inexpensive to alter, whereas climate change is much more complex and diffuse.
Education
| Year | Institution | Degree | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México | BS | Chemical Engineering |
| 1967 | University of Freiburg | MS | Polymerization Kinetics |
| 1972 | University of California, Berkeley | PhD | Physical Chemistry |
Professional Experience
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
University of California, Irvine
California Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of California, San Diego
Honors
| Year(s) | Award |
|---|---|
| 1976 | University of California, Irvine, Alumni Association Special Recognition for Contributions in Basic Research |
| 1976 to 1978 | Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow |
| 1978 to 1982 | Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar |
| 1983 | Tyler Ecology and Energy Prize |
| 1983 | Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Award for Achievement in Science and Technology |
| 1984 | Council for Recognition of Hispanics, Science Honoree |
| 1987 | American Chemical Society Esselen Award |
| 1987 to 1988 | American Association for the Advancement of Science, Newcomb-Cleveland Prize |
| 1989 | NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement |
| 1989 | United Nations Environment Program Global 500 Award |
| 1990 to 1992 | Pew Scholar on Conservation and the Environment |
| 1993 to 2017 | Member, National Academy of Sciences |
| 1993 to 2017 | Member, Institute of Medicine |
| 1993 to 2017 | Member, Academia Mexicana de Ingenieria |
| 1993 to 2017 | Member, Academia Mexicana de Ciencias |
| 1993 to 2017 | Member, Pontifical Academy of Sciences |
| 1993 to 2017 | Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science |
| 1993 to 2017 | Associate Fellow, Third World Academy of Sciences |
| 1994 to 1996 | Max Planck Research Award |
| 1995 | Nobel Prize in Chemistry |
| 1995 | United Nations Environment Program Ozone Award |
| 1996 | Walker Prize, Boston Museum of Science |
| 1996 | Titular Member, European Academy of Arts, Sciences and Humanities |
| 1997 | Honorary Member, American Meterological Society |
| 1997 | Associate Fellow, Third World Academy of Sciences |
| 1997 | Honorary Degree, Doctor of Science, Yale University |
| 1997 | Honorary Degree, Doctor of Laws, University of Calgary, Canada |
| 1998 | American Chemical Society Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science and Technology |
| 1998 | American Geophysical Union Fellow |
| 1998 | Willard Gibbs Medal |
| 1998 | Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, Connecticut College, New London, CT |
| 1998 | Honorary Degree, Doctor of Science, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA |
| 1999 | UNEP Sasakawa Prize |
| 2000 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Pontifica Universidad Católica del Perú |
| 2000 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Perú |
| 2000 | Honorary Member, Sociedad Química del Perú |
| 2000 to 2017 | Member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Vatican |
| 2001 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad de las Américas, Puebla, Mexico |
| 2001 | Honorary Degree, Doctor of Science, Trinity College, Connecticut |
| 2001 | Honorary Degree, Doctor of Science, University of Miami |
| 2002 | Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science |
| 2002 | Honorary Degree, Doctor of Science, University of Waterloo, Canada |
| 2002 | Honorary Degree, Florida International University |
| 2002 | Honorary Degree, Utah State University |
| 2002 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad de Pachuca, Mexico |
| 2002 | Medalla al Mérito Ciudadano, Legislature of the Mexico City Government |
| 2002 | John P. McGovern Medal, Sigma Xi |
| 2002 | Presea Ezequiel Montes Ledesma, Querétaro, Mexico |
| 2003 | National Hispanic Scientist of the Year, MOSI, Tampa, Florida |
| 2003 | Environment Award, Heinz Family Foundation |
| 2003 | Doctor of Science Honoris Causa, Tufts University, Massachusetts |
| 2003 to 2017 | Member of the Mexican National College (Colegio Nacional de México) |
| 2003 | Member of the International Council on Clean Transportation |
| 2004 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla |
| 2004 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico |
| 2005 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico |
| 2005 | Award for Leadership in Science and Education, Merage Foundation for the American Dream |
| 2006 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México |
| 2006 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad de Chile |
| 2007 | Honorary Member, Society of Toxicology |
| 2007 | Premio Nacional a la Excelencia Jaime Torres Bodet, Mexico |
| 2007 | Premio Nacional Benito Juárez García al Mérito Ciudadano, Mexico |
| 2007 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Colegio de Postgraduados (Institución de Enseñanza e Investigación en Ciencias Agrícolas), Mexico |
| 2007 | Honorary Degree, The City College of New York |
| 2008 | Máster de Oro, Spain |
| 2008 | Gran Cruz de la Orden de Isabel la Católica, Spain |
| 2008 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Chile |
| 2008 | Presea Estado de México, “José María Luis Mora”, Mexico |
| 2008 | Honorary Member of Instituto Mexicano de Ingenieros Químicos, Mexico |
| 2009 | Honorary Member of Fundación Carlos III, Spain |
| 2009 | Doctor Honoris Causa: Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico |
| 2009 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio, Spain |
| 2009 | Honorary Degree, Duke University, USA |
| 2009 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo |
| 2010 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico |
| 2010 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Univesité libre de Bruxelles, Belgique |
| 2010 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad del Valle de México, Mexico |
| 2011 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Nacional de San Luis Potosí, Mexico |
| 2011 | Honorary Degree, Washington College, United States |
| 2011 | Honorary Degree, University of British Columbia, Canada |
| 2011 | Officer in the Order of Oranje-Nassau, Netherlands |
| 2012 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Whittier College, California |
| 2012 | Doctor of Science Honorary Degree, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| 2012 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain |
| 2013 | Doctor Honoris Causa, The University of Manchester, UK |
| 2013 | Medal “San Ignacio de Loyola”, Iberoamericana University, Mexico |
| 2013 | Gold Medal of the President of the Italian Republic |
| 2013 | Presidential Medal of Freedom, United States of America |
| 2014 | Knight of the Legion of Honour, France |
| 2014 | University of California San Diego Medal |
| 2014 | United Nations Champion of the Earth Award |
| 2014 | Doctor of Science (Honorary Degree), John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York University |
| 2015 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts |
| 2015 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Texas A&M University, Texas |
| 2015 | Award "Salvador de la Capa de Ozono," Instituto Mexicano del Aerosol A.C. / CANACINTRA, Mexico |
| 2015 | Award for his Professional Career, Cámara Nacional de Fabricantes de Envases Metálicos, Mexico |
| 2015 | Primer Ejemplar de la Moneda Conmemorativa del 45º Aniversario del Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Mexico |
| 2016 | Award “Corazón de León”, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico |
| 2016 | Award “Global Quality Gold” Elite Category, Global Quality Foundation, Mexico |
| 2016 | Received the “Keys of the City” of Ensenada, Mexico |
| 2016 | Doctor Honoris Causa, National University of Cordoba, Argentina |
| 2016 | Member of the National Academy of Science of the Argentinian Republic |
| 2017 | Doctor Honoris Causa, Boston University |
| 2017 | Doctor Honoris Causa, King’s College London, United Kingdom |
Table of Contents
Grows up in Mexico City, Mexico. Family background. Reads biographies of scientists. Learning chemistry from chemist aunt. Middle-school years in Swiss boarding school to learn German; back to Mexico City for high school. Musical interest. Likes physics and math. Field trips with entomologists.
Attends Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Majors in chemical engineering. Develops chemical catalyst to blow polyurethane foam. Begins business in garaje with friends. Thesis at Chemistry Institute. Master’s work in polymer kinetics at University of Freiburg. Theodore Vermeulen and admission to University of California, Berkeley. Some time at Sorbonne; French language, politics, culture.
Learning to speak English. Classes small, intense, demanding. Research into nature of chemical reactions in George Pimentel’s lab. Lab management, composition, mentoring. Working with chemical lasers; molecular dynamics. Charles Townes. Publishing. Gets married; wife also in Pimentel’s lab. Continues postdoctoral work at Berkeley.
Meets F. Sherwood Rowland; different approach to similar questions. “Hot atom chemistry.” Funding; meetings; entering larger community, including Americal Chemical Society. CFCs and aerosols research. James Lovelock and electron capture gas chromatography. Impact of industrial compounds on atmosphere. Destruction and recombination of atoms; combining with ozone. Paul Crutzen and the natural cycle of ozone in stratosphere; comparison of natural processes with lab results; publication in Nature. Ozone depletion theory. Using planet as reactor. A. R. Ravishankara. Testifying in US Congress. Getting tenure.
Lab work only. E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company’s ceases manufacturing of aerosols. Mack McFarland’s influence. Du Pont becomes environmental company; developed replacements for CFC. Antarctic ozone hole. Joseph Farman. Ozone amount and movement in atmosphere’s functions. Susan Solomon; James Anderson; chlorine measurement experiments in Antarctica. Negative correlation between chlorine and ozone in atmosphere. Differences between JPL and Irvine. Results based on models instead of experimental verification. Instrumentation improvements allow measurement of small amounts of unstable chemicals. Glassblowing essential. Contrary results from JPL; proving original conclusions correct. Collaboration essential now; still likes to do experiments.
First global attempt to deal with emissions. Annual meetings with report comprising experts’ results; different aspects, different countries. Sir Robert Watson; Mostafa Tolba. Instrumental in getting agreement. Set up Multilateral Fund; Mexico first to ratify. Precedent for Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Early solutions relatively easy and cheap.
Wants more academic life and more influence in environmental chemistry field. Interest in more complicated chemistry on surface of earth, particularly Mexico City. Program to train students in economics and policy as well as their subjects. Winning Nobel Prize. Establishes scholarships both at MIT and in Mexico City. Member of President Clinton’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) and Union of Concerned Scientists. Connection between climate change and air quality. Field studies in many disciplines in Mexico City; establishs his own center.
Wants to continue in PCAST, open Mario Molina Center for Strategic Studies on Energy and the Environment in Mexico City, and do research. Collaborating on research into particles in lower atmosphere. Working on air quality with Mexican government but also on climate change. Applications of work on housing and environment; including economic and social aspects. Public transport. Technical implications; climate change and politics/science. Big picture equals aggregate of small projects. Montreal Protocol focused; everyone able to see and support conclusions; climate change more complex and diffuse.
About the Interviewer
David J. Caruso earned a BA in the history of science, medicine, and technology from Johns Hopkins University in 2001 and a PhD in science and technology studies from Cornell University in 2008. Caruso is the director of the Center for Oral History at the Science History Institute, president of Oral History in the Mid-Atlantic Region, and editor for the Oral History Review. In addition to overseeing all oral history research at the Science History Institute, he also holds an annual training institute that focuses on conducting interviews with scientists and engineers, he consults on various oral history projects, like at the San Diego Technology Archives, and is adjunct faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, teaching courses on the history of military medicine and technology and on oral history. His current research interests are the discipline formation of biomedical science in 20th-century America and the organizational structures that have contributed to such formation.
Jody A. Roberts is the Director of the Institute for Research at the Science History Institute. He received his PhD and MS in Science and Technology Studies from Virginia Tech and holds a BS in chemistry from Saint Vincent College. His research focuses on the intersections of regulation, innovation, environmental issues, and emerging technologies within the chemical sciences.