Simon North

Simon W. North is a Professor and former Executive Associate Dean in the Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University, holding the John W. Bevan Professorship in Chemistry. He leads the North Research Group, focusing on understanding chemical reactivity at a microscopic level and developing advanced laser diagnostics for hypersonic flows and atmospheric chemistry. His affiliations include the National Aerothermochemistry Laboratory and the Center for Atmospheric Chemistry and the Environment.

North earned his B.S. from the University of New Hampshire (1990), Ph.D. from UC Berkeley (1995), and completed postdoctoral work at Brookhaven National Laboratory (1995–1997). His research spans atmospheric photochemistry, laser diagnostics, and aerothermochemistry, with a focus on reaction dynamics, energy transfer, and flow field characterization.

Research interests include state-resolved photodissociation studies, ozone chemistry, and hypersonic flow diagnostics using techniques like ion imaging and NO-based velocimetry. He has pioneered the VENOM (Vibrationally Excited NO Monitoring) technique for simultaneous velocimetry and thermometry in high-speed flows.

North has been recognized with multiple teaching awards, including the College and University-level Association of Former Students Faculty Distinguished Achievement Awards (2010, 2009, 2004). His group has produced over 150 peer-reviewed publications and has advised numerous graduate students and postdocs, many of whom now hold academic or industry positions.

His lab collaborates with aerospace engineering teams on hypersonic flow studies and has developed state-of-the-art experimental setups, including the Texas A&M hypersonic wind tunnel facility. Educational contributions include curriculum development in physical chemistry labs and outreach programs targeting K-12 and undergraduate STEM education.