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Robert J. Birgeneau

Arnold and Barbara Silverman Distinguished Professor of Physics, Materials Science and Engineering, and Public Policy

Photo of Robert J. Birgeneau

Robert J. Birgeneau became the ninth chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, on September 22, 2004 serving until May 31, 2013.  An internationally distinguished physicist, he is a leader in higher education and is well known for his commitment to diversity and equity in the academic community.

Before coming to Berkeley, Birgeneau served four years as president of the University of Toronto. He previously was Dean of the School of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he spent 25 years on the faculty. He is a fellow of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society of London, the American Philosophical Society and other scholarly societies. He has received many awards for teaching and for his research on the fundamental properties of materials.

His awards include a special Founders Award from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the 2008 Carnegie Corporation Academic Leadership Award as a “Champion of Excellence and Equity in Education.”,  and the 2009 Shinnyo-en Foundation’s 2009 Pathfinders to Peace Prize for his contributions to bringing about a more peaceful world. The foundation singled out Birgeneau for his “commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and to the integration of public service as an essential component of the academic experience.” Most recently, Birgeneau received the 2012 Compton Medal from the American Institute of Physics.  He also has received honorary doctorates from a number of universities.

A Toronto native, Birgeneau received his B.Sc. in mathematics from the University of Toronto in 1963 and his Ph.D. in physics from Yale University in 1966. He served on the faculty of Yale for one year, spent one year at Oxford University, and was a member of the technical staff at Bell Laboratories from 1968 to 1975. He joined the physics faculty at MIT in 1975 and was named Chair of the Physics Department in 1988 and Dean of Science in 1991. He became the 14th president of the University of Toronto on July 1, 2000.

At Berkeley, Birgeneau holds faculty appointments in the Departments of Physics, Materials Science and Engineering and Public Policy.  He and his wife, Mary Catherine, have four grown children and nine grandchildren.

Contact

Phone 510-664-4103 (Office Phone)

Email Email Robert J. Birgeneau

Office Office Department of Physics
366 LeConte Hall # 7300
Berkeley, CA 94720-7300

About

Areas of Expertise

  • Higher Education Policy
  • Research Policy

Curriculum Vitae

Research

Selected Publications

The Scientific Justification for a U.S. Domestic High-Performance Reactor-Based Research Facility

High-performance reactor-based research facilities have been an essential part of the U.S. scientific and technological enterprise since the mid-1960s. These facilities contribute broadly to our national security, our fundamental and applied science knowledge base, our development of cutting-edge medical treatments, and our technological and industrial competitiveness. The flagship U.S. reactor facility is the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This reactor is stewarded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under the auspices of Basic Energy of Sciences in the Office of Science.

Last updated on 10/01/2021