Professor Robert G. Griffin, a physical chemist widely respected for his work in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), has been appointed director of the Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory (NML) where he has been a staff member since 1972 and associate director since 1989.
The appointment was announced by Professor J. David Litster, MIT's vice president and dean for research.
As associate director of the NML, Professor Griffin, a member of the Department of Chemistry, has had special responsibility for the laboratory's activities in NMR.
Professor Griffin holds a BS in chemistry (1964) from the University of Arkansas and a PhD in physical chemistry (1969) from Washington University-St. Louis. He did his postdoctoral research in physical chemistry at MIT with Professor John S. Waugh. After completing his postdoctoral training in 1972 he assumed a staff position at the Magnet Lab. In 1984 he was promoted to senior research scientist, a position he held at the time of his appointment to the faculty in 1989.
Professor Griffin has published more than 175 articles concerned with magnetic resonance methodology and applications of magnetic resonance to studies of the structure and function of a variety of chemical, physical and biological systems. He has served numerous advisory and review panels for the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. The quality and productivity of his research effort was recognized in 1990 with a National Institutes of Health Merit Award. Earlier this year he was chosen to be the R.W. Vaughn Lecturer by the Rocky Mountain Spectroscopy Society.
Professor Griffin, 50, a native of Little Rock, Ark., succeeds Professor Litster as director of the Magnet Laboratory.
A version of this article appeared in the December 9, 1992 issue of MIT Tech Talk (Volume 37, Number 16).
