معرفی
Donald J. Weidner is the Toll Professor of Geosciences at Stony Brook University since August 2022, and has been a faculty member there since 1972. He holds the title of Distinguished Professor and leads the Mineral Physics Institute, which he co-founded in 1988. His research focuses on mineral physics and seismology, particularly using laboratory techniques like Brillouin spectroscopy and synchrotron-based high-pressure experiments to study Earth's interior dynamics. He pioneered methods for determining elastic properties of mantle materials under extreme conditions.
Education: A.B. in Geology from Harvard University (1967), Ph.D. in Geology from MIT (1972). Professional roles include Deputy Chairperson of the Department, coordinator for Geosciences programs, and faculty advisor to the graduate student advisory committee. He designed critical high-pressure facilities at Stony Brook, including the large-volume press and synchrotron experimental setups.
Research emphasizes experimental high-pressure mineral physics, with key contributions to understanding perovskite elasticity, mantle phase transitions, and deviatoric stress analysis. His work on Mg-Si-O systems and calcium silicates has advanced models of lower mantle composition. Collaborations include synchrotron facilities at NSLS, and he chairs GeoCARS large-volume experiment design teams.
- Awards: James B. Macelwane Medal (1981) for early-career contributions
- Facilities: SAM-85 DIA apparatus, wiggler port high-pressure research systems
- Key Techniques: Brillouin spectroscopy, diamond anvil cells, neutron/x-ray diffraction
Advisees include over 20 graduate students through Stony Brook's geochemistry programs. His research funding has supported facility development and international collaborations in high-pressure science.
