Michael Charles Zerner

Abstract

Michael Charles Zerner (January 31, 1940 – February 2, 2000) On February 2, 2000, our colleague, friend, and fellow editor Michael Zerner died after a long and difficult battle with cancer. Mike was born in Hull, Massachusetts, and graduated from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1961. Subsequent graduate study with Martin Gouterman at Harvard led to M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry in 1966, and marked the beginning of an outstanding career as a theoretical chemist. After serving for two years in the U.S. Army, during which he reached the rank of Captain, he spent two years at Uppsala University in Sweden with Per-Olov Löwdin as an N.I.H. Postdoctoral Fellow. He subsequently took his first faculty position in 1970 as an assistant professor at Guelph University in Canada, where he later attained the rank of professor. In 1981 he was appointed Professor of Chemistry at the University of Florida. His productive career was marked by exemplary teaching, research, and service. From 1988 to 1994 he served as Chairman of the department. His research has led to approximately 200 publications. He held visiting professor appointments at a number of universities in several countries and presented countless talks at universities, industrial laboratories, and professional meetings. He was an active participant in the Quantum Theory Project, a joint research institute of the departments of chemistry and physics at the University of Florida. He was one of the organizers of and a major contributor to the annual Sanibel Symposia. His leadership role in the international community of quantum chemists is reflected by his editorship of “Advances in Quantum Chemistry,” his associate editorship of “International Journal of Quantum Chemistry,” and his membership on several editorial boards. The ZINDO software program written by him and his students is used throughout the world for instruction and research. In 1998 he became the first member of the University of Florida chemistry department to be promoted to the rank of Distinguished Professor. Mike will be long remembered for his boundless energy and positive attitude to almost every situation. As he was wont to say, “We can do that!”