Oral history interview with Mark A. Ratner
- 2006-Apr-07
Mark A. Ratner begins the interview by describing his early connection to science while growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, working at the Harshaw Chemical Company as a high school summer job, and switching between various majors as an undergraduate student at Harvard University. After Harvard, Ratner attended graduate school at Northwestern University and became a postdoctoral fellow in Denmark and Munich. Upon returning to the US, Ratner began teaching at New York University for several years and worked with graduate student Avi Aviram to explore molecular rectifiers (later called molecular electronics). Ratner returned to Northwestern in 1975,this time as a faculty member in the Chemistry Department. Next Ratner reflected on collaboration with various institutions such as IBM and DARPA, and the development of molecular electronics research with Aviram. Moving on to the Gordon Research Conferences, Ratner described his experiences as an organizing chair; a member of the board of directors; and being on steering and selection (S&S) committee. Finally, Ratner concluded the interview reflecting on evolving funding practices, the importance of having a staff at research centers, and offering some thoughts on the future of nanotechnology.
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About the Interviewers
Arthur Daemmrich is an assistant professor in the Business, Government, and International Economy Unit at Harvard Business School and a senior research fellow at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. His research examines science, medicine, and the state, with a focus on advancing theories of risk and regulation through empirical research on the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and chemical sectors. At HBS he also plays an active role in an interdisciplinary Healthcare Initiative, advancing scholarship and developing applied lessons for the business of creating and delivering health services and health-related technologies. Daemmrich was previously the director of the Center for Contemporary History and Policy at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. He earned a PhD in Science and Technology Studies from Cornell University in 2002 and has held fellowships at the Social Science Research Council/Berlin Program for Advanced German and European Studies, the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and the Chemical Heritage Foundation. He has published widely on pharmaceutical and chemical regulation, biotechnology business and policy, innovation, and history of science.
Cyrus Mody is an assistant professor of history at Rice University. Prior to that position he was the manager of the Nanotechnology and Innovation Studies programs in the Center for Contemporary History and Policy at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and materials engineering from Harvard University and a PhD in science and technology studies from Cornell. He was the 2004–2005 Gordon Cain Fellow at CHF before becoming a program manager. Mody has published widely on the history and sociology of materials science, instrumentation, and nanotechnology.
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Interviewee biographical information
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Education
| Year | Institution | Degree | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Harvard University | BA | Chemistry |
| 1969 | Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.) | PhD | Chemistry |
Professional Experience
Aarhus universitet
- 1970 to 1971 Postdoctoral Fellow
New York University
- 1971 to 1975 Associate Professor, Chemistry
Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.)
- 1975 to 1979 Associate Professor, Chemistry
- 1979 to 1994 Professor of Chemistry
- 1980 to 1984 Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
- 1994 to 2007 Morrison Professor of Chemistry
- 2007 Lawrence B. Dumas Distinguished University Professor
Odense universitet
- 1984 Postdoctoral Fellow
Honors
| Year(s) | Award |
|---|---|
| 1972 to 1975 | A. P. Sloan Foundation Fellow |
| 1980 | Fellow, Advanced Study Institute, Hebrew University |
| 1981 | Fellow, American Physical Society |
| 1992 | Fellow, American Association for Advancement of Science |
| 1993 | Fellow, Advanced Study Institute, Hebrew University |
| 2001 | Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences |
| 2002 | Member, National Academy of Sciences |
| 2002 | Feynman Prize |
| 2004 | Langmuir Award |
| 2004 | Foreign Member, Royal Danish Academy of Science |
| 2004 | Member, International Academy of Quantum Molecular Sciences |
| 2005 | Mulliken Medal |
| 2005 | Dr. Sci. (H. C. ), Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| 2008 | Hirschfelder Prize in Theoretical Chemistry, University of Wisconsin |
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