Theoretical chemist awarded Hirschfelder Prize

Bruce Berne, widely known as the first person to perform computer simulations of molecules, has received the Joseph O. Hirschfelder Prize in Theoretical Chemistry.

The Hirshfelder Prize is one of the largest awards in the field of theoretical chemistry. It carries a $10,000 stipend and is given annually by the UW–Madison Theoretical Chemistry Institute and Department of Chemistry.

Berne, a faculty member at Columbia University since 1966, continues to be a pioneer in the fields of molecular simulation and molecular dynamics. He has developed methods for calculating the rate at which molecules move within complex systems and for determining the probability of certain molecular arrangements within a liquid. Berne has also designed polarizable force fields, which take into account a molecule’s electronic reaction to the force exerted by nearby molecules.

For his work, Berne has received numerous awards, including the 1995 American Chemical Society‘s Award in Theoretical Chemistry and the upcoming Joel Henry Hildebrand Award in the Theoretical and Experimental Chemistry of Liquids. Berne is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and has been a Guggenheim fellow.

As a recipient of the Hirschfelder Prize, Berne will visit the UW–Madison campus and give three talks in Room 1315 Chemistry for students, faculty and staff:

–“A Personal Retrospective on Molecular Dynamics,” Monday, Oct. 22, at 4 p.m.

–“Polarizable Force Fields for Water and Aqueous Solution,” Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 11 a.m.

–“Simulating Quantum Dynamics in Condensed Systems,” Wednesday, Oct. 24, at 2 p.m.

Established in 1991 by a gift from Elizabeth Hirschfelder, the prize is named after her late husband, Joseph O. Hirschfelder, who founded UW–Madison’s Theoretical Chemistry Institute and made major contributions to modern theoretical chemistry.