Background
Litster, James David was born on June 19, 1938 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Son of James Creighton and Gladys May (Byers) Litster.
Litster, James David was born on June 19, 1938 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Son of James Creighton and Gladys May (Byers) Litster.
B Engineering, McMaster U., Hamilton, Ontario, 1961; Doctor of Philosophy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1965.
Instructor physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1965-1966;
assistant professor physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1966-1971;
associate professor physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1971-1975;
professor physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, since 1975;
head division atomic, condensed matter and plasma physics, department physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1979-1983;
director Center for Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1983-1988;
director Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1988-1992;
interim associate provost, vice president for research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1991;
vice president, dean for research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1991-1995;
vice president research, dean graduate education, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambrdige, Massachusetts, since 1996;
member research staff Thomas J. Watson Research Center, International Business Machines Corporation, 1969;
consultant to liquid crystal group Thomas J. Watson Research Center, International Business Machines Corporation, 1969-1970. Visiting professor U. Paris, 1971-1972. Lecturer in physics Harvard Medical School, 1974-1975.
Member ad hoc oversight committee Solid State Chemistry, National Science Foundation, 1977-1978. Consultant New York State Education Department, 1978. Visiting scientist Risø National Laboratory, Denmark, 1978.
Member condensed matter science subcommittee National Science Foundation, 1978-1981, materials research advising committee, 1978-1981, chairman, 1980-1981. Member solid state science panel National Research Council, 1986-1995, chairman, 1991-1992.
Fellow American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Physical Society, American Academy Arts and Sciences.
Married Cheryl Ella Schmidt, June 26, 1965. Children: Robin Joyce, Heather Claire.
