| David Allan Bromley | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 4, 1926 Westmeath, Canada |
| Died | February 10, 2005 (aged 78) New Haven, United States |
| Nationality | Canadian, American |
| Fields | Physics, Science, Technology |
| Institutions | University of Rochester Atomic Energy of Canada Yale University Duke University Office of Science and Technology Policy |
| Alma mater | Queen's University (BS) University of Rochester (PhD) |
| Doctoral advisor | Harry Fulbright |
| Doctoral students | Joel Birnbaum, Joseph P. Allen |
| Notable awards | National Medal of Science (1988), APS Nicholson Medal (2001) |
David Allan Bromley (May 4, 1926 – February 10, 2005) was a Canadian–American physicist, academic administrator and Science Advisor to American president George H. W. Bush. At the time of his death, he had over 500 publications.
Contents |
Born in Westmeath, Ontario, Canada, he received a Bachelor of Science in 1949 and a Master of Science in 1950 from Queen's University. He received a M.S. and a Ph.D. degree in Nuclear Physics in 1952 from the University of Rochester. From 1952 to 1953, he was an Instructor and from 1953 to 1954, he was an Assistant Professor at the University of Rochester. In 1955, he was hired as an Associate Research Officer, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. and from 1958 to 1960, he was a Senior Research Officer and Section Head.
In 1960, he moved to the United States to become an Associate Professor of Physics at Yale University. He became a U.S. citizen in 1970. He was appointed a Professor in 1961 and was Associate Director of the Heavy Ion Accelerator Lab from 1960 to 1963. He was the founder, and from 1963 to 1989, the Director, of Yale's A. W. Wright Nuclear Structure Lab. From 1970 to 1977, he was Chairman of the Physics Department. In 1972, he was appointed the Henry Ford II Professor of Physics and was in this position until 1993. He was then appointed the first Sterling Professor of the Sciences.
He is considered the father of modern heavy ion science and carried out pioneering studies on the structure and dynamics of atomic nuclei.
Before being appointed to the Bush Cabinet, he was a member of President Ronald Reagan's White House Science Council. While serving as Bush's science advisor from 1989 to 1993, he pushed for major increases in scientific research funding so that the United States could compete with Japan and Germany in manufacturing. He also supported the expansion of the high-speed network which eventually became the Internet.
Following his public policy work, he returned to Yale University to serve as Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering from 1994-2000. He continued teaching at Yale until his death.
Over his career, he had many honors including 33 honorary degrees and membership in the United States National Academy of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1988, Bromley was awarded the National Medal of Science.[1]