Congratulations to John Crowell on Retiring

We celebrate the professional contributions and achievements of John Crowell, who has just retired after 35 years of research, teaching, and service as a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and affiliate faculty of the Material Science and Engineering Program at UC San Diego. John received his B.S. in chemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana, in 1979 and his Ph.D. in physical chemistry under the guidance of Gabor A. Somorjai from the University of California at Berkeley in 1984. He joined our faculty after completing a 2-yr postdoctoral research position with John T. Yates, Jr., and David M. Hercules at the University of Pittsburgh. At UC San Diego, Prof. Crowell established a research program focused on the surface chemistry of semiconductor materials, using a variety of characterization techniques to study the formation, structure, and properties of thin films and interfaces, along with the kinetics of chemical reactions at such surfaces. His dedication to academic integrity and student development and welfare extended across research and teaching domains. In addition to directing undergraduates, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees in fundamental experimental research in physical chemistry, he has been an ardent supporter of our departmental Masters program and a highly respected member of many Ph.D. committees, recognized for his thoughtful and scientifically rigorous questions. John bestowed the same level of care and compassion on undergraduate students, whom he instructed in general and physical chemistry lectures, as well as analytical and physical chemistry laboratory courses. He was often seen in the undergraduate teaching laboratories talking with students, who appreciated his availability and attention to their learning. Outside of the classroom John was equally generous with his time and energy, using office hours to advise students on course material and other aspects of their academic careers, such as research and volunteer opportunities. During his career, John Crowell taught courses in the CHEM 6 series a total of 53 times (>15,600 students) and various Physical Chemistry courses (Chem 126, 127, 128, 105A/B, 209) over 36 times at the upper division and graduate level. Over the years John has been involved in a number of department committees, including as a member of the Department Council, Undergraduate Affairs Committee, Safety Committee, and MS Admissions and Advising Committees. Beyond campus, he was very active in organizing research symposia and serving on numerous committees for the American Chemical Society (ACS), the American Institute of Physics (AIP), and the American Vacuum Society (AVS). His work with these professional societies spanned conferences, long-range projects, finance, and electronic publishing. Among his many roles, he served as Chair of the AIP Publishing Service Subcommittee, was elected to both the Electronic Materials and Surface Science Divisions AVS Executive Committees and appointed for a one-year term as Chair of the AVS Surface Science Division. Professor Judy Kim, Vice Chair of the Physical, Analytical and Environmental Chemistry Section, offered the following words: “John has been a selfless team player. He contributed to and took on leadership roles in numerous department committees, including search committees that led to new hires. He agreed to teach courses to resolve urgent department needs. He shared excellent scientific ideas on an impressive range of topics. Perhaps most important, John was a kindhearted colleague who always had time for others.” Indeed, John Crowell’s legacy is shaped by the kindness and sharp intellect he has brought to bear upon his scholarly work and interactions. We wish him good health and much happiness in his retirement!