Geraldine L. Richmond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Geraldine Richmond
|
|
|---|---|
Geri Richmond
|
|
| Under Secretary of Energy for Science | |
| In office November 15, 2021 – January 20, 2025 |
|
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Paul Dabbar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 17, 1953 Salina, Kansas, US |
| Spouse | Stephen Kevan |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Kansas State University (BS); University of California, Berkeley (PhD) |
| Known for | Chemistry and physics of complex surfaces and interfaces relevant to energy production, atmospheric chemistry, environmental remediation; Advocacy and mentorship for women in science |
| Awards | National Medal of Science Davisson-Germer Prize Garvan-Olin Medal |
Geraldine Lee Richmond (born January 17, 1953) is an American chemist. She is known for her important work in understanding how liquids and gases behave at their surfaces. From 2021 to 2025, she served as the Under Secretary of Energy for Science for the US Department of Energy.
In this big role, she helped manage the Office of Science and 13 of the 17 Department of Energy national laboratories. Before this, she was a professor at the University of Oregon. Dr. Richmond also started a program called COACh. This program helps women scientists succeed in the U.S. and in many other countries. For her amazing scientific discoveries and her efforts to support women in science, she received the National Medal of Science in 2013 from President Obama.
Education
Geraldine Richmond studied chemistry at Kansas State University, earning her bachelor's degree in 1975. She then went on to get her Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1980.
Career
Dr. Richmond began her teaching career at Bryn Mawr College in 1980. In 1985, she joined the University of Oregon, where she became a full professor in 1991. She held several important positions there, including the Presidential Chair in Science.
Her scientific research explores how chemicals and physical processes work at the surfaces where different materials meet. For example, she studies what happens at the surface of water, like where water meets air or oil. She uses special laser tools and computer models to understand these tiny interactions.
Her work helps us understand things like:
- How water molecules behave at surfaces.
- How pollutants in the air react at the surface of water.
- How tiny droplets of oil and water (called nanoemulsions) stay stable. This can be useful for cleaning up the environment or delivering medicines.
Dr. Richmond is also the founder of COACh. This organization helps women and minority groups in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). COACh offers workshops to help women scientists grow their careers. More than 25,000 women scientists around the world have benefited from COACh programs.
Service
Dr. Richmond has held many important roles outside of her university work. She was appointed to the Oregon State Board of Higher Education twice. She also chaired the Department of Energy Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (BESAC).
In 2014, she was elected president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She also served as a Science Envoy for the Lower Mekong River Countries, appointed by Secretary John Kerry.
President Obama appointed her to the National Science Board from 2012 to 2016. She was reappointed by President Trump and served until 2022. She has also been a leader in other scientific societies, like the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Sigma Xi.
Dr. Richmond also directs a program at the University of Oregon called Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). This program, started in 1987, gives college students hands-on research experience. Over 400 students have participated, and most have gone on to graduate school.
Honors
Dr. Richmond has received many awards for her scientific work and her efforts to help others. Some of her notable honors include:
- 1993 Fellow, American Physical Society
- 1996 Garvan–Olin Medal of the American Chemical Society
- 1997 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Engineering Mentoring
- 2003 Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
- 2006 Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- 2011 Member, National Academy of Sciences
- 2013 Davisson-Germer Prize
- 2013 National Medal of Science
- 2018 Priestley Medal of the American Chemical Society
- 2023 Othmer Gold Medal
See also
In Spanish: Geraldine L. Richmond para niños
