Richard J. Wittebort

Richard J. Wittebort is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Louisville. His research focuses on molecular dynamics in the solid state using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, supported by the NSF Biophysics Division. His work spans biophysical and chemical systems, including protein structures, transition metal clusters, and ice dynamics.

Education: B.A. (1972) and M.A. (1976) from Ohio State University; Ph.D. (1978) from Indiana University.

Research interests include solid-state NMR applications, molecular motion in proteins, water dynamics in ice and hydration shells, and ferrocene reorientation. His group has demonstrated water molecule rotation rates in ice (~10⁵/sec), protein hydration behavior at -100°C, and electron exchange dynamics in metal clusters. They also develop electronic devices and computational methods to interpret experimental data.

Recent publications (2003–2004) address topics such as elastin conformation, peptide-humic interactions, NMR tensor analysis, and water chain dynamics in imidazole channels.

Grants: NSF Biophysics Division funding for experimental and theoretical work. Collaborators include Eduard Y. Chekmenev, Maxim S. Pometun, and Lionel E. Cheruzel. His lab operates a custom-built solid-state NMR instrument.