John H. Seinfeld facts for kids

John Hersh Seinfeld, born on August 3, 1942, is an American chemical engineer. He is a leading expert in the field of atmospheric science. His important research on air pollution has helped shape public rules and laws. He also created the very first mathematical model for air quality. This model has changed how air pollution is tracked and studied across the United States. He has spent his entire career at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). There, he is known as the Louis E. Nohl Professor of Chemical Engineering.

Education and Early Studies

John Seinfeld grew up in Elmira, New York. He went to the University of Rochester and earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1964. After that, he attended Princeton University. He received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Princeton in 1967. His Ph.D. work focused on how to control and improve complex systems.

Career and Air Pollution Research

Seinfeld started working at Caltech in 1967 as an assistant professor. At first, he continued his research on control theory. However, he soon became very interested in the high levels of smog in Los Angeles. He decided to change his research focus to study air pollution instead.

Back then, scientists often used simpler methods to study the atmosphere. Seinfeld realized his strong math skills could help understand the chemical reactions happening in the air. He formed a research team that figured out how ozone (a type of air pollutant) forms.

In 1973, his team created the first large-scale model for urban air pollution. They used this model to study the Los Angeles area. This groundbreaking work helped start a new field of science. This field focuses on modeling pollution in the lower part of the atmosphere. Their model also became the basis for air pollution models used today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

After this, Seinfeld realized he needed more information to fully understand pollution. He began to study how aerosols form and what they are like. Aerosols are tiny particles floating in the air. To do this research, he and his Caltech colleague, Richard Flagan, built a "smog chamber" at the university. This special chamber allowed them to do controlled studies of gases and particles found in the atmosphere. Their smog chamber was the first of its kind. Now, similar chambers are standard tools in atmospheric science. Seinfeld's research on aerosols is now considered essential for understanding air quality and climate change.

From 1990 to 2000, Seinfeld was the head of the Chemical Engineering and Applied Science Division at Caltech. He has written hundreds of scientific articles and many books. One of his most famous books is Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics: From Air Pollution to Climate Change. It is considered a key textbook in its field.

Awards and Recognitions

John Seinfeld has received many awards for his important work. Here are some of them:

• Curtis W. McGraw Research Award (1976)
• Allan P. Colburn Award of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (1976)
• NASA Public Service Medal (1980)
• Elected Member of the National Academy of Engineering (1982)
• William H. Walker Award of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (1986)
• Elected Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (1986)
• George Westinghouse Award (1987)
• Distinguished Alumnus Award, University of Rochester (1989)
• Elected Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1991)
• American Chemical Society Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science and Technology (1993)
• Fuchs Memorial Award (1998)
• Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1999)
• Warren K. Lewis Award of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (2000)
• Nevada Medal (2001)
• Honorary Doctorate, Carnegie Mellon University (2002)
• Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award of the California Air Resources Board (2003)
• Aurel Stodola Medal (2008)
• Honorary Doctorate, Clarkson University (2009)
• Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (2012)
• Elected Member of the National Academy of Sciences (2013)