Alan J. Heeger

Alan J. Heeger begins the interview by describing his early decision to attend college and reasons behind changing his major from electrical engineering to mathematics and physics at the University of Nebraska. After obtaining his undergraduate degree, Heeger enrolled in Cornell University to pursue his interest in theoretical physics. After one year Heeger moved and attended University of California at Berkeley and switched his focus to experimental physics. Upon receiving his Ph.D. under Alan Portis, Heeger took an assistant professorship at the University of Pennsylvania's physics department. At Penn Heeger's interests included spin-wave theory, metal physics, the Kondo problem, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in magnetic materials. After achieving tenure, Heeger took a sabbatical at the University of Geneva to work on metal physics. Before leaving for Geneva, Heeger was introduced to TCNQ and shifted the focus of his research on that upon returning to the United States. Then in 1973, Heeger began investigating polysulfur nitride along with Alan MacDiarmid and Hideki Shirakawa that led to seminal publications on conducting polymers. After twenty years at the University of Pennsylvania, Heeger moved to the University of California at Santa Barbara's physics department, where he continued to conduct his research and collaboration with other scientists. Heeger concludes the interview by discussing thoughts of his role as a device physicist, and how he can best move technology development forward.

University of Pennsylvania

1962 - 1964 Assistant Professor

University of Pennsylvania

1964 - 1967 Associate Professor

University of Pennsylvania

1967 - 1982 Professor

University of Pennsylvania

1974 - 1981 Director, Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter

University of Pennsylvania

1981 - 1982 Acting Vice Provost for Research

University of California, Santa Barbara

1982 - 1999 Director, Institute for Polymers and Organic Solids

University of Geneva

1968 - 1969 Visiting Professor of Physics

University of California, Santa Barbara

1982 - Present Professor of Physics

University of California, Santa Barbara

1987 - Present Professor of Materials (Engineering)

University of Utah

1988 - Present Adjunct Professor of Physics

UNIAX Corporation

1990 - 1994 Founder and President

UNIAX Corporation

1994 - Present Chief Scientist, Chairman of the Board

Cyrus Mody

Cyrus Mody is an assistant professor of history at Rice University. Prior to that position he was the manager of the Nanotechnology and Innovation Studies programs in the Center for Contemporary History and Policy at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and materials engineering from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in science and technology studies from Cornell. He was the 2004–2005 Gordon Cain Fellow at CHF before becoming a program manager. Mody has published widely on the history and sociology of materials science, instrumentation, and nanotechnology.