Introduction of Victor A. Drits

Abstract

First of all it gives me great pleasure and it is an honor to present my mentor and my friend, Professor Victor Drits, for the most prestigious award that the Clay Mineral Society gives its members: The Distinguished Member Award. Victor A. Drits graduated from Irkutsk State University, USSR with an M.S. degree in Physics and Math. Then, he spent several years working for this university and preparing for his Ph.D. In 1961, he successfully obtained his Ph.D. degree in Solid State Physics and Crystallography by defending his thesis in the Institute of Crystallography, Academy of Science, Moscow, USSR. Dr. Drits was invited to the Geological Institute, Academy of Science in Moscow where he headed the Group, and later, in 1970, he became Head of the Laboratory of Physical Methods for the Study of Rock-forming Minerals. In 1975, Victor Drits became a Doctor of Science in Mineralogy and Crystallography. Dr. Drits has many scientific interests, and he is a pioneer in all areas of his scientific activities. From the beginning of his scientific career, he focused on the determination of mineral structures with an emphasis on those where defects violate periodicity. To solve …