Robert. J. Birgeneau is Chancellor Emeritus and the Silverman Professor of Physics, MSE and Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. Before coming to Berkeley he served as president of the University of Toronto. Prof. Birgeneau grew up and was educated in Toronto up to the level of his B.Sc. and then came to the U.S. (Yale) for his Ph.D. Professor Birgeneau's physics research is primarily concerned with the phases and phase transition behavior of novel states of matter. These include one and two dimensional quantum magnets, two dimensional liquids and solids, liquid crystals, lamellar CuO2 high temperature superconductors, and Fepnictide and chalcogenide superconductors. He uses primarily neutron and x-ray scattering techniques to probe these systems. Some of the neutron scattering experiments are carried out at national facilities located in Canada. He also has an active interest in higher education, most especially in public research universities in the United States and Canada and the public policy thereof. Under his leadership, UC Berkeley became the first university in the United States to offer comprehensive financial aid to undocumented immigrants.
Job title:
Chancellor Emeritus and the Silverman Professor of Physics, MSE and Public Policy
Department:
Department of Physics
Bio/CV:
