Robert Reed Squires (January 11, 1953 – September 30, 1998) was an American chemist known for his work in
gas phase ion chemistry
Gas phase ion chemistry is a field of science encompassed within both chemistry and physics. It is the science that studies ions and molecules in the gas phase, most often enabled by some form of mass spectrometry. By far the most important applic ...
and flowing afterglow
mass spectrometry
Mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical technique that is used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. The results are presented as a ''mass spectrum'', a plot of intensity as a function of the mass-to-charge ratio. Mass spectrometry is use ...
.
Early life and education
Squires was born in
Northern California
Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...
and grew up in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
El Camino College
El Camino College (Elco or ECC) is a two-year public community college located in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County known as Alondra Park.California State University, Chico. He then went on to
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
where he worked in the laboratory of
Kenneth B. Wiberg
Kenneth Berle Wiberg (born September 22, 1927) is an American Professor Emeritus of organic chemistry at Yale University. He contributed to many aspects of organic chemistry including physical and synthetic aspects.
Scholarship
In the area of sy ...
on the thermochemistry of organic compounds. He received his M.Phil. degree in 1977 and a Ph.D. in 1980. He took a
postdoctoral
A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD). The ultimate goal of a postdoctoral research position is to p ...
position with Charles DePuy and Veronica Bierbaum at the
University of Colorado, Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University of Colorado syst ...
where he studied the reactions of gas-phase ions using the
flowing afterglow A plasma afterglow (also afterglow) is the radiation emitted from a plasma after the source of ionization is removed.
The external electromagnetic fields that sustained the plasma glow are absent or insufficient to maintain the discharge in the aft ...
technique.
Academic career
Squires took a position as an assistant professor at
Purdue University
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
in 1981 where he constructed two unique mass spectrometers: a flowing afterglow triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and a flowing afterglow selected ion flow tube triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. In 1986, he was promoted to Associate Professor and in 1990 to Professor.
Awards
Among his awards were an
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is an American philanthropic nonprofit organization. It was established in 1934 by Alfred P. Sloan Jr., then-president and chief executive officer of General Motors.
The Sloan Foundation makes grants to support or ...
Fellowship in 1987, the
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all d ...
Nobel Laureate Signature Award for Graduate Education in Chemistry (with Susan Graul) in 1991, and the
American Society for Mass Spectrometry
The American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) is a professional association based in the United States that supports the scientific field of mass spectrometry. As of 2018, the society had approximately 10,000 members primarily from the US, bu ...
Biemann Medal in 1998. The Purdue University Department of Chemistry Robert R. Squires Scholarship was established in his honor.