معرفی
Professor So Hirata is the Marvin T. Schmidt Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the Department of Chemistry. He holds additional roles as a Blue Waters Professor and Beckman Affiliate Faculty. His research focuses on electronic and vibrational many-body theory, computational methods for quantum chemistry, and the development of predictive computational techniques.
Education:
- B.S. (1994) and M.S. (1996), University of Tokyo
- Ph.D. (1998), Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Institute for Molecular Science), Japan
Research Interests:
Dr. Hirata develops advanced mathematical and computational methods to solve high-dimensional equations in quantum chemistry, enabling precise calculations of molecular properties and transformations. His work includes thermal quasiparticle theory, many-body perturbation theory, and Monte Carlo methods. Applications span molecules, polymers, solids, and liquids, with contributions to understanding excitons, phase transitions, and electronic structures.
Key Contributions:
- Development of algorithms like thermal mean-field theories and explicit correlation factors
- Pioneering work on finite-temperature coupled-cluster and Green’s function theories
- Advancements in computational infrastructure (e.g., NWChem software package)
Awards & Honors:
- Guggenheim Fellow (2022)
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2015)
- Member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Sciences (2014)
- AAAS Fellow (2012)
Grants & Labs:
Recipient of major grants including the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award and NSF CAREER Award. Leads the Hirata Quantum Many-Body Theory Group, focusing on computational and theoretical innovations in chemistry.
