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Thom H. Dunning, Jr.,
Joint Institute for Computational Science,
University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831
On September
1, 2002 Thom H. Dunning, Jr. was appointed director of the
Joint Institute for Computational Sciences, Distinguished
Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the University
of Tennessee, and Distinguished Scientist in Computer Science
and Mathematics at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Joint
Institute was established by the University of Tennessee and
Oak Ridge National Laboratory to create advanced modeling
and simulation methods and computational algorithms and software
to solve the most challenging problems in science and engineering.
Dr. Dunning came to this position from North Carolina, where
he was responsible for supercomputing and networking for the
University of North Carolina System and a professor of chemistry
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Before
going to North Carolina, Dr. Dunning was Assistant Director
for Scientific Simulation in the Office of Science at the
U.S. Department of Energy, on leave from Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory. In that position, he was instrumental
in creating DOE’s new scientific computing program, Scientific
Discovery through Advanced Computing. Dr. Dunning joined PNNL
as Associate Director for Theory, Modeling & Simulation in
the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory in August
1989. In EMSL, he established a world-class research program
in theoretical and computational molecular science and founded
the Molecular Science Computing Facility. In February 1994,
Dr. Dunning was appointed Director of the Environmental Molecular
Sciences Laboratory. As Director, he oversaw the construction
of the EMSL as well as the development of its research instruments
and scientific research programs—a $230 million project—for
DOE. In October 1997, Dr. Dunning was appointed the first
Battelle Fellow at PNNL, establishing the highest scientific
and engineering position in the Laboratory.
Dr. Dunning
has authored nearly 150 scientific publications on topics
ranging from advanced techniques for molecular calculations
to computational studies of the spectroscopy of high power
lasers and the chemical reactions involved in combustion.
Three of his papers are “Citation Classics” with over 1,000
citations each (one has over 5,000 citations). He has organized
symposia and workshops for the National Research Council,
the American Chemical Society, the U.S. Department of Energy,
the National Science Foundation, and many other organizations.
Dr. Dunning was the scientific leader of DOE’s first “Grand
Challenge” in computational chemistry, which, along with the
EMSL Project, led to the development of NWCHEM. NWCHEM is
currently the only general computational chemistry code available
for massively parallel computers, and has dramatically extended
the range and accuracy of molecular calculations.
Dr. Dunning
is a member of the American Chemical Society, and a Fellow
of the American Physical Society and of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science. He has served on numerous
national advisory committees, including NRC’s AFOSR Chemistry
Review Committee (1987-1990), NSF’s Advisory Committee for
Chemistry (1991-3), and DOE’s Council on Chemical Sciences
(1996-9). He was the founding vice-chair of NRC’s Chemical
Sciences Roundtable (1996-1999) and organized its first two
workshops. In April 1997, Dr. Dunning received DOE’s E. O.
Lawrence Award for “seminal contributions to the development
and application of theoretical and computational chemistry”
and, in February 2001, he was presented with DOE’s Distinguished
Associate Award for his research, management, and leadership
in the chemical, molecular, and computational sciences for
the Department.
Dr. Dunning
received his B.S. in Chemistry in 1965 from the University
of Missouri-Rolla and his Ph.D. in Chemical Physics from the
California Institute of Technology in 1970. He was awarded
a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship in 1965-66 and a National Science
Foundation Fellowship in 1966-9. Previous positions include
group leader of the Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
Group at Argonne National Laboratory (1978-1989) and staff
member and Associate Group Leader of the Laser Theory Group
at Los Alamos National Laboratory (1973-78). These positions
were preceded by postdoctoral appointments at the California
Institute of Technology (1971-3) and Battelle Memorial Institute
(1970-1).
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