William E. Moerner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William E. Moerner
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Moerner in 2024
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William Esco Moerner
June 24, 1953 Pleasanton, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | |
| Awards | Wolf Prize in Chemistry (2008) Irving Langmuir Award (2009) Peter Debye Award (2013) Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2014) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Chemistry, applied physics, biophysics |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Vibrational relaxation dynamics of an IR-laser-excited molecular impurity mode in alkali halide lattices (1982) |
| Doctoral advisor | Albert J. Sievers |
| Other academic advisors | James Gegan Miller |
William Esco Moerner, also known as W. E. Moerner, is an American scientist. He was born on June 24, 1953. He is a physical chemist and chemical physicist. His work now focuses on biophysics and looking at single molecules.
Dr. Moerner is famous for being the first to see and study a single molecule using light. He did this with his colleague, Lothar Kador. This discovery was a big step forward in science. It led to new ways of studying tiny things in chemistry, physics, and biology. In 2014, he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his amazing work.
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Early Life and Education
William E. Moerner was born in Pleasanton, California. This was in 1953. His parents were Bertha Frances and William Alfred Moerner. As a boy, he was a Boy Scout. He even became an Eagle Scout, which is the highest rank.
He went to Washington University in St. Louis for college. There, he earned three degrees in 1975. He got a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in physics. He also got a B.S. in electrical engineering. Plus, he earned a Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) in mathematics. He graduated with high honors in all his subjects.
After college, he went to Cornell University. He studied physics there. He earned his Master of Science (M.S.) degree in 1978. Then, he got his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in 1982. His Ph.D. research was about how molecules relax after being excited by a laser. Throughout his school years, from 1963 to 1982, Moerner earned straight A's. He also won several awards for his excellent schoolwork.
Career Highlights
After finishing his studies, Dr. Moerner worked at IBM Almaden Research Center. This was in San Jose, California. He worked there from 1981 to 1995. He started as a researcher. Later, he became a manager and a project leader.
From 1995 to 1998, he was a professor at the University of California, San Diego. In 1998, he moved to Stanford University. At Stanford, he became a professor of chemistry. He also became a professor of applied physics. He was the head of the chemistry department from 2011 to 2014.
Dr. Moerner's research today includes many exciting areas. He studies how to see and understand single molecules. He also works on super-resolution microscopy. This is a way to see things much smaller than regular microscopes can. His work also involves physical chemistry, chemical physics, and biophysics. He also researches tiny particles and how light interacts with them.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Moerner has received many important awards for his scientific work. These awards show how much his discoveries have helped science.
Some of his major awards include:
- The Earle K. Plyler Prize for Molecular Spectroscopy in 2001.
- The Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 2008.
- The Irving Langmuir Award in Chemical Physics in 2009.
- The Peter Debye Award in Physical Chemistry in 2013.
- The Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2014.
He also holds more than ten patents. This means he has invented many new things.
Dr. Moerner is also a member of several important scientific groups. He is a Senior Member of IEEE. He is also a Member of the National Academy of Sciences. He is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America. He is also a Fellow of the American Physical Society. These honors show that he is highly respected by other scientists.
Personal Life
William E. Moerner was born at Parks Air Force Base in Pleasanton, California. His family always called him "W. E." This was to tell him apart from his father and grandfather, who were also named William.
He grew up in Texas. He went to Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio. In high school, he was very active. He played in the band. He was in speech and debate. He joined math and science teams. He was also an editor for his school's newspaper.
Dr. Moerner is married to Sharon. They have one son named Daniel.
Images for kids
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Bacteria-3D-Double-Helix.
This image shows 3D super-resolution imaging of Caulobacter crescentus bacteria cell surfaces (gray) and a labeled protein (CreS, orange-red) obtained using the double-helix single-molecule active control microscopy technique.
See also
In Spanish: William E. Moerner para niños
