On April 13, world-class quantum chemist Henry Schaefer Ⅲ gave a guest lecture at SUSTech titled “The Life of A Scientist.” As a long-time researcher in the fields of both theoretical and computational chemistry, Schaefer is the Graham Perdue Professor of Chemistry and Director of Center for Computational Quantum Chemistry at the University of Georgia (UGA), and Honorable Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley).
He has also taken up editorial responsibilities for Chemical Physics Letters, Advances in Quantum Chemistry, American Institute of Chemists, Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation, Molecular Physics, Journal of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Computational and Theoretical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry: Current Research. Considered to be one of the current 50 most influential scientists worldwide, he has received honors such as the Peter Debye Award in Physical Chemistry from the American Chemical Society, the Chemical Pioneer Award from the American Institute of Chemists, the SURA Distinguished Scientist Award and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Award.
Schaefer shared with the audience his life experience and academic career in a humorous way. Back in his “nerdy” high school days, he was enthusiastic about calculus but not good at sports. Following his father’s advice, he went to MIT for his undergraduate degree in chemical physics and became one of the top students there. Schaefer later met his then-fiancée and decided to pursue further studies in chemical physics with her at Stanford University. They turned their cross-country trip from Massachusetts to California into a honeymoon. During his Ph.D. studies at Stanford, quantum mechanics was his favorite course and he graduated in just three years before becoming the youngest professor at UC Berkeley. It was at UC Berkeley where he developed quantum mechanical methods applicable to multi-atomic systems. With this method, Schaefer was able to make computational predictions for the methylene structure and create a new structural model, later proven to be correct through repetition of his experiments by his peers.
Out of consideration for his children, Schaefer resigned from UC Berkeley in 1987 and continued his academic career at UGA. UC Berkeley reappointed him in 2004 due to his outstanding achievements. From a scientist’s perspective, he explained his considerations and choices at the turning point of life in detail. At the Q&A session, Schaefer answered all the questions patiently and stressed the importance of focus and hard work when it comes to scientific research.
