Kenneth Jordan

Kenneth Jordan is the Richard King Mellon Professor of Computational Chemistry and Distinguished Professor at the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Chemistry, within the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. He also serves as Associate Director of the Center for Research Computing. His research focuses on theoretical and computational studies of molecular clusters, surface reactions, quantum Monte Carlo methods, and electronic-molecule interactions. Key interests include water cluster structures, proton accommodation, and non-valence correlation-bound anions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Jordan's work leverages high-performance computing resources to tackle complex systems.

• Education: Not explicitly stated in text, but inferred from his academic rank and publications as having earned a PhD in Chemistry.

Research interests span water clusters (melting transitions, hydrated proton dynamics), electron and proton localization in polyatomic molecules, and quantum mechanical simulations of chemical reactions on surfaces. His group employs ab initio quantum mechanical techniques, Monte Carlo, and molecular dynamics methods. Notable collaborations include work with Yale University's Mark Johnson group and the University of Washington's Anne McCoy group.

Recent articles highlight advancements in quantum computing applications (e.g., LiH_n complexes), non-valence anion characterization (pyridine, diazines), and graphene-H interactions. His work on proton transfer mechanisms in water clusters (e.g., Grotthuss relay) bridges theory and experimental spectroscopy.

• Awards: ACS Physical Chemistry Award (2009), Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2009), AAAS Fellow (2006), and multiple honor symposia at national conferences.

Jordan mentors a diverse group of PhD students and postdocs, with recent advisees focusing on quantum computing algorithms, metastable states, and PAH anion modeling. His lab also explores computational tools like Q-GPU for GPU-accelerated quantum simulations. Current research themes include many-body force fields, dispersion interactions, and the role of mechanical strain in graphene electrocatalysis.

He leads collaborative projects at national labs (e.g., PNNL, NETL) and international institutions, contributing to both foundational theory and applied materials science. His group's findings frequently appear in top journals like PNAS, Journal of Physical Chemistry, and ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.