Paul L. Raston

Paul L. Raston is a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, joining in 2023. He specializes in advancing understanding of atmospheric chemistry, astrochemistry, combustion chemistry, and superfluidity through high-resolution spectroscopy.

• Education: B.Sc. in Chemistry from Griffith University; Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Wyoming (study of tunneling reactions in solid hydrogen under David T. Anderson).
• Postdoctoral Experience: Fellowships at the University of Alberta (Wolfgang Jäger) and University of Georgia (Gary Douberly), focusing on superfluidity and near-zero Kelvin radical studies.

His research employs custom spectrometers across microwave to infrared wavelengths. Current projects include spectroscopic analysis of exotic chemical intermediates in gas phase/helium nanodroplets and quantum solvation studies of molecules in helium/hydrogen environments to explore microscopic superfluidity.

Recent publications highlight his work on methanol clusters (2023), Coriolis-coupled vinyl alcohol spectroscopy (2022), and inertial response in helium solvated molecules (2021). These contributions span physical chemistry, astrochemistry, and quantum dynamics.

Scientific achievements include the Ramsay Fellowship at the University of Adelaide for synchrotron-based spectroscopy research. He also develops virtual lab simulators to enhance student educational experiences in physical chemistry.