Professor Allen J. Bard passed away Feb 11, 2024 at the age of 90.
1933 – 2024
Professor Allen J. Bard passed away Feb 11, 2024 at the age of 90.
Dr. Bard was a faculty member nearly 65 years at the University of Texas at Austin, following his PhD at Harvard University. Although he did not seek out public recognition, he was an internationally decorated scientist and a prominent Editor.
He co-wrote the seminal book: Fundamentals of Electrochemical Methods, which will continue to train and guide the generation of electrochemists for the foreseeable future. He once said: “It’s very hard in science to make such an important contribution that you become a household name and your ideas go into textbooks.” I do not think that he sought it or wanted it but ultimately, Bard is a household name in electrochemistry and everyone in our field would agree that it is indeed very rare and unique.
Dr. Bard (I could never convince myself to call him Al) had great intuition and imagination publishing more than 1,000 academic papers and 30 patents. His works showcases that from fundamental science we build “bricks” of knowledge and tools serving our communities such as scanning electrochemical microscopes and water based electrochemiluminescence sensing platforms. He truly loved science and was one of the most open-minded and curious scientists that I have known. When I joined his laboratory, he was 65 and recovering from a heart condition. Colleagues would ask him if he was thinking of retirement and his answer was always: I’ll do it as long as I can.
In 2014, when a reporter asked him what professional accomplishment, he was most proud of, he answered “I think I’m most proud of the people I turned out. I don’t know if you consider that a professional accomplishment.” Dr. Bard was so much more than a list of awards and publications. He leaves behind the Bard family, Cindy Zoski, his long-time friend, and a significant scientific family of more than 90 PhD students, 200 postdoctoral fellows, several master’s students and research scientists. He also leaves behind numerous colleagues and collaborators since he was always happy to work in a team to push the science forward. We have lost one of the best electrochemist and mentor that I know.
Janine Mauzeroll
Professor of Chemistry
McGill University, Montreal, Canada