Mark S. Wrighton, Ph.D.

Mark S. Wrighton, Ph.D.
Chancellor
Washington University in St. Louis

Dr. Mark S. Wrighton is Chancellor and Professor of Chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. As Chancellor, he is the Chief Executive Officer of the University and reports to the Board of Trustees. Wrighton was elected the 14th Chancellor in the Spring of 1995 and assumed his duties on July 1, 1995.

Born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1949, Wrighton received his B.S. degree with honors in chemistry from Florida State University in 1969. He did his graduate work at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and was named the first recipient of the Herbert Newby McCoy Award at Caltech based on his research accomplishments. He received the Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from the University of West Florida in 1983 and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Caltech in 1992.

Wrighton started his career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1972 as Assistant Professor of Chemistry. He was appointed Associate Professor in 1976 and Professor in 1977. From 1981 until 1989 he held the Frederick G. Keyes Chair in Chemistry. He was Head of the Department of Chemistry from 1987-1990 and became Provost of MIT in 1990, a post he held until the Summer of 1995.

Wrighton is the author or co-author of more than 400 articles published in professional and scholarly journals, and he has 14 patents. He has research interests in the areas of transition metal catalysis, photochemistry, surface chemistry, molecular electronics, and in photoprocesses at electrodes. Wrighton has lectured widely on his research work and has given more than 40 named lectureships at distinguished colleges and universities in the United States and other countries.

Wrighton currently serves as a member of the Boards of Trustees of the Cabot Corporation; Helix Technology Corporation; Ionics, Inc. and OIS Optical Imaging Systems, Inc. in St. Louis; he is a trustee of the Missouri Botanical Garden; the St. Louis Symphony; the St. Louis Art Museum; the St. Louis Science Center and the Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School; a director of the United Way; an ex-officio member of Civic Progress and the Board of Trustees of the Regional Commerce and Growth Association.