Biographical Sketch--Larry R. Dalton

            Larry Dalton was borne April 25, 1943 on a farm near Belpre, Ohio.  He attended the Honors College of Michigan State University on a National Merit scholarship graduating with highest honors in 1965 with a B.S. in chemistry and mathematics.  Undergraduate research in chemistry resulted in five publications [the first observation of solvated electrons in anhydrous amines with E. J. Hart of Argonne National Laboratory, two papers with J. L. Dye on alkali metal amine solutions including the first analysis of the effects of nuclear spin dependent relaxation in these solutions on electron paramagnetic resonance spectra, and two papers with C. H. Brubaker on chloromethoxy complexes of Mo(V)].  Academic and research performance was recognized by the award of the Continental Can Co. Award for the Outstanding Chemistry Junior and the Sigma Xi Graduate Research Award in Chemistry.  Research in mathematics resulted in a Pi Mu Epsilon Award.  Larry completed an M.S. in chemistry in 1966 working with J. L. Dye;  this degree program was started while Larry was an undergraduate.

            Further studies in chemistry were pursued with A. L. Kwiram at Harvard University leading to A.M. and Ph.D. degrees in 1971.  The Harvard era was marked by a GPA of 4.00/4.00 and the award of a number of graduate fellowships:  NIH Predoctoral (accepted), Harvard University (declined), NSF (declined), and Danforth (declined).  Thesis work involved the first detailed study of paramagnetic relaxation of radicals in solid state organic materials, the first theoretical analysis of ENDOR spectra of randomly oriented materials, introduction and application of EDNMR, and theoretical and experimental studies of optical detection of magnetic resonance (ODMR).

            In 1971, Larry Dalton joined the chemistry faculty of Vanderbilt University as an assistant professor and the research staff of Varian Analytical Instrument Division as a consultant.  The Varian consultantship was offered to Larry by Dr. J. H. Hyde at a Gordon Research Conference on Magnetic Resonance in the summer of 1971 after hearing Larry’s ideas on new magnetic resonance techniques.  In 1972, Dalton and Hyde introduced the technique of Saturation Transfer Spectroscopy.  The next five years were spent developing three versions of this general concept; namely, nonlinear modulation spectroscopy, nonlinear multiple resonance (e.g., ST-ELDOR) techniques, and time-resolved or pulsed saturation transfer experiments.  Larry also developed the detailed theory of general magnetic resonance applicable for any motional regime (e.g., from the rigid lattice to the fast motion limits).  This theoretical advance was based on density matrix theory and involved several significant advances in mathematical methods (e.g., calculating the remainders of slowly converging series).  The theoretical work also unified various methods of treating rotational diffusion.  The new instrumental and theoretical methods were applied to a number of important problems including DNA dynamics, dynamics of muscle proteins, conformational changes of proteins associated with enzymatic activity, and the supramolecular interaction of red cell proteins.  In 1973, Larry was promoted to associate professor of chemistry with tenure and received an Undergraduate Teaching Award.  In 1974, Larry received an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, followed by a Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher Scholar Award in 1975 and a NIH Research Career Development Award in 1975.  In 1975, Larry was appointed to the positions of research professor of biochemistry and research professor of physiology at Vanderbilt University College of Medicine.  In addition to teaching in chemistry, Larry routinely guest lectured in the School of Engineering at Vanderbilt on the electrical and magnetic properties of materials and collaborated on studies of ceramic materials resulting in several papers presented by Vanderbilt engineering faculty at meetings of the American Ceramical Society.

            In 1976, Larry joined the chemistry faculty of the State University of New York at Stony Brook after being recruited by Paul Lauterbur (of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI, fame).  This year also marked the award of a second NIH Research Career Development Award (76-81).  During the period 1976-81, Larry undertook consultantships with Bruker Instruments and with IBM.  His research focused upon developing new forms of magnetic resonance instrumentation and application of these techniques to characterization of proteins and of novel species in materials science including solitons and polarons in newly discovered conducting polymers such as polyacetylene.  Notable achievements include the first ECL logic pulse programmer (which still forms the basis of modern pulse programmers in magnetic resonance and is at the heart of multi-dimensional pulse techniques).  He effected, by multiple magnetic resonance techniques, the first experimental characterization of the wavefunction of the soliton in polyacetylene.  Using time-resolved techniques he defined soliton dynamics and soliton-soliton interactions.  Working with Harry Frisch and Bruce Robinson, he used magnetic resonance experiments to develop a detailed model of DNA torsional dynamics.  He also played a major role in defining critical supramolecular interactions involving red blood cell proteins including Band-3, hemoglobin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and aldolase.  Larry’s work on sickle cell hemoglobin aggregation resulted in his being selected as a participant in the NIH Think Tank on Sickle Cell Anemia and as a member of the Parent Committee for the Review of Comprehensive Sickle Cell Centers (which continues to the present).  During his years at Stony Brook, Larry Dalton was nominated each year by student vote for the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching but was to leave Stony Brook before he was eligible to receive this award (5 years of teaching required).  In 1981, Larry was promoted to professor of chemistry at Stony Brook (Consideration for promotion was delayed at Larry’s request until 1981 so that he could continue to retain the NIH Career Development Award).

            In 1982, Larry joined the faculty of the University of Southern California as professor of chemistry.  This period of time also marked a focus upon materials chemistry and particularly research involving electroactive materials.  Initial work dealt with conducting polymers and involved novel experiments such as the first magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characterization of the spatial distributions of different types of polarons in ladder polymers.  Larry also pioneered new synthetic methods leading to soluble and processable conducting polymers.  More recently, his research has focused upon electroactive materials appropriate for optical applications.  Particular interest has developed in ultrastructure (nanoscale) synthesis methods including the use of external fields to complement molecular self-assembly and sequential synthesis methods and the development of multi-step condensed phase (e.g., solid state) synthesis methods.  Numerous achievements include the first quasi-phased matched second harmonic generation achieved with an organic material, the first demonstration of electro-optic modulation to 110 GHz achieved with an organic material, the first vertical integration of polymeric optical and semiconductor VLSI electronic circuitry, the introduction of laser-assisted poling, and the introduction of multi-color photolithography, and the first realization of sub 1-volt polymeric electro-optic modulators.   Larry has also turned his attention to developing new techniques of time-resolved nonlinear optical spectroscopy.  In 1986, Larry received the Burlington Northern Foundation Faculty Achievement Award; and in 1990, the University of Southern California Associates Award for Creativity in Research and Scholarship.  In 1994, Larry was appointed to the first Harold E. And Lillian M. Moulton Endowed Professorship of Chemistry, was appointed Professor of Materials Science & Engineering in the College of Engineering, and was named Scientific Co-Director of the Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute.  In 1995, he became Director of the Department of Defense MURI Center for Nanoscale Materials & Processing.  While at USC, Larry pioneered computer-assisted learning and was honored by an IBM Education Division Award in 1988.  While at USC, Larry served on the Materials Research Advisory Committee of the National Science Foundation (84-88); the NSF Panel on High Magnetic Fields (87); Panel 15, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Photovoltaics Review, Department of Energy (94); and various NIH Study Sections.  He has served on numerous NSF panels charged with review of Presidential Young Investigator applications; of MRL, MRG, and MRSEC applications; and National Facilities.  Larry continues to serve as a consultant to the Arizona Disease Control Research Commission, the Veterans Administration Medical Research Service, and the NIH Biomedical Technology Resource Center at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.  From 1990-96, Larry was a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the American Chemical Society journal, Chemistry of Materials.  He has also served as a consultant to Annual Reviews of Physical Chemistry.  While at USC, Larry has been a featured profile on the American Chemical Society’s “Dimensions in Science” series for public radio and on Voice of America Broadcasts. Larry Dalton is one of the most highly rated (by both student and faculty evaluation) undergraduate teachers at USC and has pioneered the introduction of materials chemistry into both undergraduate and graduate courses.

            Larry received the 1996 Richard C. Tolman Medal of the Southern California Section of the American Chemical Society and was chosen as the 1996 Paul C. Cross Lecturer at the University of Washington.

            In 1998, he became a tenured faculty member in chemistry at both the University of Washington (Seattle) and the University of Southern California (50% time at each location).  At the University of Washington, Larry was selected for inclusion into the Institute for Teaching Excellence and the Washington Teaching Academy. At the University of Washington, Larry has focused upon developing condensed matter theory capable of predicting the effects of strong and spatially-anisotropic intermolecular interactions.  Working with Ray Baughman at Allied Signal Corporation, Larry participated in the first demonstration of single wall carbon nanotube actuators.  He is a participant with Hughes Research Laboratory on a DARPA sponsored program on liquid crystalline materials and devices.  Recently, Larry and his coworkers have used new low halfwave voltage electro-optic modulators to demonstrate several new device concepts including that of time stretching, which is relevant to ultrafast analog-to-digital conversion and other applications.