. . . Randall B. Shirts Info

I graduated from BYU in 1973, served a mission in Southeast Mexico 1970-72, went to graduate school at Harvard, leaving with a PhD in Chemical Physics in 1979, postdoctoral research in Boulder (1979-1981), CO, taught at Georgetown University (Washington, DC, 1981-82) and the University of Utah (1982-1987), worked at the Dept. of Energy Lab in Idaho Falls (1987-1991), taught at BYU (1991- present), and had a sabbatical leave in Oxford, England (2000). At BYU, I teach general chemistry, physical chemistry, quantum mechanics, and writing using the chemical literature. My research is in theoretical chemistry and has included atomic and molecular quantum theory and spectroscopy, chaos theory, and statistical mechanics.

I met my wife, Kathryn Hanson of Salt Lake City, when we were both graduate students at Harvard. We have six children: Michael (grad student in theoretical chemistry at Stanford), Brian (MD/PhD student at Pittsburgh, 1 grandchild), Caitlin (editorial intern at BYU Studies), Peter (BYU music education student), Kristen (BYU industrial design student), and Erica (high school violinist). Our greatest claim to fame is that the first five were all National Merit Scholars; one more to go.

My greatest CHS memory is rocking out with Roice, Ray, Charlie, and Dale. Let's get together for some oldies sometime.

Probably my only accomplishment interesting to CHS graduates is the publication of "Trial Furnace: Southern Utah's Iron Mission." My father worked for twenty years to publish a history of the founding of Cedar City and the operation of the pioneer iron works. He died before he could finish it, but my wife and I succeeded in getting BYU to publish it after considerable editing and additional chapters written by her. It is available at most bookstores or on Amazon.com.