In Memoriam: David Sayre
March 8, 2012
We were saddened to learn of the passing of David Sayre on February 23, 2012. Most recently David was an Adjunct Professor in the Physics Department at Stony Brook, a position he took up after his long and illustrious career at IBM. Many of us remember him as a member of the X1A PRT and as the chief visionary of coherent diffraction imaging, although he made other fundamental contributions to crystallography dating back to the 1950s.
A wonderful account of his accomplishments and contributions appears in his obituary in Physics Today, which was written by Janos Kirz, Chris Jacobsen and John Miao, all X1A alumni as well as close collaborators of David’s. His work and that of his collaborators and students has been enormously influential in the development of synchrotron radiation research around the world. The unique breadth of his contributions to crystallography was recognized by the award of the International Union of Crystallography Ewald Prize in 2008.
David touched the lives and careers of many people who were fortunate to know him during his time at NSLS. I for one remember a Friday lunchtime seminar he gave in the early ’90s on coherence and its potential application to imaging problems. As I recall. he had no prior notice. I think he may have even been asked to present only after entering the room (talk about last minute!). His talk was remarkable both for its depth and clarity, and the fact it was really a talk. No slides, no blackboard scribbles, no hand waving. Just a gifted communicator clearly explaining something he knew intimately well to a rapt audience. The lesson and the teacher certainly left a lasting impression on me and I am sure on many others.
There is ongoing discussion of some way to mark David’s passing and celebrate his many contributions to science. If you have thoughts or suggestions, please let me know. When plans have firmed up, we’ll get the word out.
2012-2945 | INT/EXT | Newsroom
