Record

Authorised form of name	Scoles; Giacinto; chemist and physicist
Nationality	Canadian
Place of birth	Turin, Piedmont, Italy, Europe
Date of birth	02 April 1935
Place of death	Sassenheim, Netherlands, Europe
Date of death	24 September 2024
Occupation	Chemist and physicist
Research field	Chemistry
	Nanoscience
	Physics
	Biophysics
	Physical chemistry
	Spectroscopy
Activity	Education: University of Genoa Career: Assistant Professor, Physics Department, University of Genoa, Italy (1959); joined Jan Beenakker’s group at the Kamerlingh-Onnes Laboratorium, Leiden University, Netherlands (1961); returned to the University of Genoa as Assistan Professor of Physics (1964-1971); Professor of Chemistry and Physics, University of Waterloo, Canada (1971); established a new molecular beam laboratory, University of Trento, Italy (1975-1980); moved to Princeton University, New Jersey, USA (1986); returned to Italy on a part-time basis, taking appointments at the Trieste Synchrotron Elettra and the International School for Advanced Studies (2003). Memberships: Foreign Member of The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences 2000 Awards/Medals: Research Prize of the Chemistry Faculty of the University of Bochum 2006 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics (with Jan Peter Toennies) from the Franklin Institute 2006 Creativity Award from the NSF 2003-5 Texas A&M University, Frontiers in Chemical Research Lecturer 2004 Moscowitz Lecturer at the University of Minnesota, October 2004 Distinguished Visiting Professor, University of Florida, Gainesville 2003 Earle K. Plyler Prize for Molecular Spectroscopy from the American Physical Society (with Kevin K. Lehmann) 2003 Peter Debye Award in Physical Chemistry from the American Chemical Society 2002 H. E. Gunning Lecturer, Dept. of Chem., University of Alberta 2001 Honorary Science Doctorate from the University of Waterloo 2000 Samuel M. McElvain Lecturer, University of Wisconsin–Madison 1999 Recipient of an Honorary Doctorate in Physics from the University of Genoa 1999 Recipient of a Senior Fellowship of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation 1995 Recipient of the 1995 Lippincott Award of the Optical Society of America, the Coblentz Society, and the 1995 Senior Killam Fellowship 1986
Membership category	Fellow
Date of election	15/05/1997
Age at election	62
PublishedWorks	RCN 52154
OtherInfo	He was at the forefront of the inventions and applications of microscopic quantitative methods in the studies of the properties of matter. Giacinto constructed beam scattering machines and conducted highly accurate studies on interatomic and intermolecular interactions. In 1997, Giacinto introduced a new very powerful spectroscopic technique of thermal detection methods. It is an ingenious combination of molecular beam and lasers and is now used in many laboratories in the world. Giacinto used this method initially to study the fundamental physical effects, but gradually moved on to chemistry. He used this method very effectively for the studies of van der Waals molecules and clusters. In particular, the method of gas phase matrix spectroscopy initiated by him is perhaps the cleanest spectroscopic method for the study of large clusters. In the 1980s, Giacinto expanded his front further to the studies of surfaces and again kept producing the most unique and clear information on surface scattering. He was a polyglot and could speak and write in English, Dutch, French, Italian, and Spanish.
Source	The Royal Society Fellows Directory, Professor Giacinto Scoles FRS, [URL: https://royalsociety.org/people/giacinto-scoles-12246/; last accessed: 19/02/2025] Princeton University, Department of Chemistry, 'Giacinto Scoles, pioneer in the study of intermolecular forces, dies at 89', 11 October 2024, Wendy Plump, [URL: https://chemistry.princeton.edu/news/giacinto-scoles-physical-chemist-and-pioneer-in-the-study-of-intermolecular-forces-dies-at-89/; last accessed: 19/02/2025]
Code	NA4699

Archives associated with this Fellow

RefNo	Title	Date
IM/004036	Scoles, Giacinto	1998
EC/1997/29	Scoles, Giacinto: certificate of election to the Royal Society	1992

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