- Prospective Students
- Current Students
- Information for Non-Majors
- Undergraduate Courses
- Courses offered in previous semesters
- Summer Program
- Current Courses
- Instructional Faculty and Staff
- Learning Resources
- Lower Division Stockroom
- Undergraduate Services Office (USO)
- Undergraduate Student Awards and Scholarships
- Undergraduate Student Groups
- Contact Information
PrintLester Morss
Adjunct Faculty
Personal Data
Office Phone: 410-997-1099
Office Address: 12008 Yellowbell Lane Columbia, MD 21044
Email: lmorss@umd.edu
Education
- Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1965-69. Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry. Research director: Professor B. B. Cunningham. Microcalorimetry, synthetic actinide chemistry, radiochemistry of the actinides, X-ray crystallography, ultramicro analytical chemistry.
- Postdoctoral research, Purdue University, 1969-71. Research director: J. W. Cobble. Low- and high-temperature thermochemistry of solutions of rare earths and uranium ions.
Research Interests
(Rutgers University, 1971-1980; Argonne National Laboratory, 1980-2002; USDOE Office of Science 2002-2010)
Inorganic synthesis, thermochemistry, and structural chemistry of transition metals, rare earths, and actinides, especially rare earth and actinide oxides, halides, and coordination complexes, using powder X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Microchemical synthesis of radioactive compounds. Determination and interpretation of thermodynamic properties of rare earths and actinides in solids and aqueous solution. Organoactinide chemistry. Stability determination of coordination complexes. Characterization and control of chemical and nanoscale phenomena (e.g. colloids) that cause migration of hazardous and radioactive species from solids. Design and synthesis of inert crystalline hosts for repository disposition of radioactive materials, especially plutonium. Radiochemistry workforce supply and demand; education in f-element science, nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry.
