Dr. David Dixon, Robert Ramsay Professor of Chemistry, has been named the 2022 inductee into the ARCS alumni hall of fame.  The ARCS Foundation provides financial scholarships to oustanding undergraduate and graduate students at top universities in the US.  The ARCS Foundation has recognized Dr. Dixon for his work in computational chemistry that caused a paradigm shift in the world’s major chemical companies. Always at the forefront of energy research, among a number of projects, Dixon is currently working with his research team at UA to explore hydrogen as a sustainable energy alternative. This work has been funded by the United States Department of Defense as well as the Department of Energy. “We have been working on using chemical hydrogen storage for fuel cells to power vehicles and even the electrical needs for soldiers.” According to Dixon, soldiers often have electronic devices embedded within their uniforms to sense danger like lasers or biological weapons. Hydrogen cells could be an efficient and long-lasting way to provide portable power systems for soldiers, he said. He is also working on creating new fuels with less energy use and on chemistry for nuclear energy.

Dr. Dixon was an ARCS Scholar in 1968 while attending the California Institute of Technology, where he completed his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. He received a PhD from Harvard in physical chemistry in 1976 with renowned Professors Dudley Herschbach (Nobel Prize, Chemistry, 1986) and William N. Lipscomb (Nobel Prize, Chemistry, 1976).

Upon receiving the ARCS recognition, Dixon said “I am extremely grateful to the ARCS Foundation for your support of me as an undergraduate at Caltech and I gratefully accept the honor of being named to the ARCS Alumni Hall of Fame.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Dixon into the distinguished ARCS Alumni Hall of Fame,” said Caron Ogg, national president of ARCS Foundation. “His groundbreaking work with computational models has been used by scientists throughout the world to make major discoveries in chemistry, biology, physics, and medicine,” she said. “He is truly a pioneer for American science, and we are proud to count him among our network of ARCS Scholars.”

As a member of ARCS Alumni Hall of Fame, Dr. Dixon joins the company of twelve other outstanding ARCS alumni who are also recognized for their leadership in scientific innovation and discovery.