Jonathan Hanson Named Senior Scientist Emeritus
September 7, 2017
On the basis of his scientific contributions during a more than 35-year career at Brookhaven Lab, particularly those in the Chemistry Department, chemist Jonathan Hanson was named senior scientist emeritus.
Hanson came to Brookhaven in 1974 with a guest appointment in the Chemistry Department. He joined the Biology Department in 1977 as a senior research associate and the Applied Math Department in 1979 as a computer analyst. In 1984, he returned to the Chemistry Department, where he was promoted to senior chemistry associate (1990) and chemist (1993). He retired in 2012.
Hanson led the development and application of in situ characterization methods in catalysis and related fields, using synchrotron radiation at Brookhaven's former National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) and other light sources. He was an author and coauthor of seminal papers on time-resolved in situ measurements using synchrotron radiation, including the first in situ diffraction methods to study the synthesis and dehydration of zeolites. Contributing his expertise in cell designs and methods, he assisted in establishing the in situ capabilities of the Synchrotron Catalysis Consortium, which has had a great impact on the application of synchrotron methods across the U.S. catalysis science community.
Since retiring, Hanson has remained engaged in developing time-resolved x-ray diffraction methods to exploit the new capabilities of NSLS-II.
In a letter praising Hanson's achievements, Lab Director Doon Gibbs said, "Both your long record of accomplishments at Brookhaven Lab and current quest to see NSLS-II time-resolved capabilities fully exploited in catalysis science are deserving of emeritus status."
Hanson said, "When I first came to Brookhaven, I was using the Control Data Corporation 7600 supercomputer to refine protein structures. I valued my research collaboration with José Rodriguez in the catalysis research group because it provided useful problems to apply new in situ techniques. Also, as a local contact at NSLS beamline X7B, I participated in many interesting projects with university collaborators Poul Norby, Kenny Stahl, Clare Grey, and John Parise. Now, I am trying to take advantage of new NSLS-II software to selectively determine active sites in industrial catalysts."
Meet 12 other scientists who have received emeritus status
2017-12482 | INT/EXT | Newsroom
