Renee D. Diehl is an American physicist known for her work on the

adsorption Adsorption is the adhesion of atoms, ions or molecules from a gas, liquid or dissolved solid to a surface. This process creates a film of the ''adsorbate'' on the surface of the ''adsorbent''. This process differs from absorption, in which a ...

and

physisorption Physisorption, also called physical adsorption, is a process in which the electronic structure of the atom or molecule is barely wikt:perturb, perturbed upon adsorption. Overview The fundamental interacting force of physisorption is Van der Waals ...

of atoms and molecules onto crystal and

quasicrystal A quasiperiodicity, quasiperiodic crystal, or quasicrystal, is a structure that is Order and disorder (physics), ordered but not Bravais lattice, periodic. A quasicrystalline pattern can continuously fill all available space, but it lacks trans ...

surfaces, including the first experimental studies showing that non-reactive atoms on metal surfaces did not necessarily rest in crevices on the surface. She is a

professor emerita ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

of physics at the

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

Education and career

Diehl was educated at the Shippensburg High School in Pennsylvania, and majored in physics at

Juniata College Juniata College () is a private liberal arts college in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1876 as a co-educational normal school, it was the first college started by members of the Church of the Brethren. It was originally founded as a cent ...

, also in Pennsylvania. She graduated in 1976, and continued her studies at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

, where she completed a Ph.D. in 1982, supervised by Samuel C. Fain. After postdoctoral studies at the

University of Liverpool The University of Liverpool (abbreviated UOL) is a Public university, public research university in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1881 as University College Liverpool, Victoria University (United Kingdom), Victoria University, it received Ro ...

in the UK, she continued as a lecturer in Liverpool from 1983 to 1990. She returned to Pennsylvania and joined the Pennsylvania State University faculty in 1990, becoming a full professor there in 1998.

Recognition

In 1999, the

American Association of Physics Teachers The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) was founded in 1930 for the purpose of "dissemination of knowledge of physics, particularly by way of teaching." There are more than 10,000 members in over 30 countries. AAPT publications includ ...

gave Diehl their Distinguished Service Award, and she was named a

Fellow of the American Physical Society The American Physical Society honors members with the designation ''Fellow'' for having made significant accomplishments to the field of physics. The following lists are divided chronologically by the year of designation. * List of fellows of the ...

"for structural studies of weakly-adsorbed species on surfaces".

Graduate Women in Science Graduate Women in Science (GWIS), formerly known as Sigma Delta Epsilon (ΣΔΕ), is an international professional organization for women in science. It was established as a scientific women's fraternity in 1921 at Cornell University, United State ...

named her as an honorary member in 2001, she became a

Fulbright Fellow The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people o ...

in 2006, and Juniata College named her as a distinguished alumna in 2007.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diehl, Renee Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American physicists American women physicists Juniata College alumni University of Washington alumni Academics of the University of Liverpool Pennsylvania State University faculty Fellows of the American Physical Society