Sharon Hammes-Schiffer

Background

Hammes-Schiffer, Sharon was born on May 27, 1966 in Ithaca, New York, United States. Daughter of Gordon G. and Judith (Frank) Hammes.

Education

Bachelor, Princeton University, 1988; Doctor of Philosophy, Stanford University, 1993.

Career

She is currently Swanlund Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she leads the Hammes-Schiffer Research Group. She has served as senior editor and deputy editor of the Journal of Physical Chemistry and advisory editor for Theoretical Chemistry Accounts. As of 1 January 2015 she became editor-in-chief of Chemical Reviews.

Hammes-Schiffer studies "chemical reactions in solution, in proteins and at electrochemical interfaces, particularly the transfer of charged particles driving many chemical and biological processes." Her research draws upon the areas of chemistry, physics, biology, and computer science and is significant for the fields of biochemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry and physical organic chemistry.

A theoretician who works with computational models, Hammes-Schiffer blends classical molecular dynamics and quantum mechanics into theories that have direct relevance to a variety of experimental areas. In studying proton, electron and proton coupled electron transfer, Hammes-Schiffer has formulated a general theory of proton-coupled electron transfer reactions that explains the behavior of protons in energy conversion processes.

Her research has enhanced understanding of hydrogen tunneling and protein motion in enzyme catalysis. Her research group has also developed a nuclear-electronic orbital approach that allows scientists to incorporate nuclear quantum effects into electronic structure calculations.

Her work has application to a variety of experimental results and has implications for areas such as protein engineering, drug design, catalyst of solar cells, and enzymatic reactions.

Hammes-Schiffer completed her Bachelor of Arts in chemistry at Princeton University in 1988. She completed her Doctor of Philosophy in chemistry at Stanford University in 1993 after working with Hans C. Andersen. She then worked with John C. Tully at American Telephone & Telegraph Company Bell Laboratories as a postdoctoral research scientist

Hammes-Schiffer held positions on the faculty at the University of Notre Dame as Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry (1995-2000) and at Pennsylvania State University (2000-2012).

As of 2012 she joined the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as Swanlund Professor of Chemistry where she leads the Hammes-Schiffer Research Group. Hammes-Schiffer is an author or co-author on nearly 200 papers, and has given more than 200 invited talks.

Achievements

• Sharon Hammes-Schiffer has been listed as a noteworthy Chemistry educator by Marquis Who's Who.

Membership

National Academy of Sciences. American Academy of Arts and Sciences]

She was elected as a member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science in 2014.

Connections

Married Peter Ernest Schiffer, April 1, 1990. Children: Zachary J., Benjamin G.

Father:

Gordon G. Hammes

Mother:

Judith (Frank) Hammes

Spouse:

Peter Ernest Schiffer

child:

Zachary J. Hammes-Schiffer

child:

Benjamin G. Hammes-Schiffer