William Samuels, 69, passed away on September 2, 2020. He attended Coe College, where he graduated in 1974 with a BA in chemistry. He attended Georgia Institute of Technology and earned his PhD in organic synthesis under the tutelage of Drury Caine in 1980. After completing his doctorate, Bill worked for four years in the pulp and paper industry as a bleach chemist. In 1984, Bill went to Washington state as a postdoctoral research fellow at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. He was hired on as permanent staff into the Materials Science department as a research scientist in 1987. He worked at PNNL for the next 25 years, retiring in 2012.

Bill's research touched on many areas of chemistry and materials science, but common themes were centered around polymer chemistry, composite materials, chemical modifications of materials, and chemically modified surfaces. He employed these methodologies in a wide variety of applications, including thin film optical materials, chemical sensors, scrubber systems, airplane/runway de-icers, and biomedical applications. Bill's career as a research chemist was a productive one. He is listed as Inventor on 11 US Patents. He was an author on over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles.His work was recognized by two prestigious R&D 100 Awards, and an Innovator of the Year Award from the American Chemical Society (Pacific Northwest Section). Bill used his research laboratory as a teaching tool and mentored a number of undergraduate and graduate students and postdocs over the years that he was at PNNL.

Bill also taught chemistry in the classroom. While he was working at PNNL, he taught part-time, between 2000 and 2014, teaching a variety of chemistry courses at WSU Tri-Cities. After he retired from PNNL, he went on to a series of short-term teaching appointments at Whitworth University, St. Olaf's College, ASU-Polytech (Mesa), and Grand Canyon University. During this period, Bill proved his versatility at the lectern and taught a wide variety of chemistry classes, ranging from introductory freshman chemistry, to graduate level chemistry courses.



Please feel free to make a memorial donation in Bill's name to your favorite charity. Bill was a very generous donor for many years to the National MS Society, and to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. At Bill's request, no formal services were held. (Source: ASU Foundation)