Ray Hefferlin, Ph.D., former Southern Adventist University professor and globally-renowned physicist, was recently honored by an international science journal. Foundations of Chemistry dedicated Volume 20 to Hefferlin for his work with the periodic system of molecules, which interweaves mathematics, physics, and chemistry. The journal also included an article written by Hefferlin, titled “An Allegory on Molecular Periodicity.”
The publication’s editor, Eric Scerri, Ph.D., professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and personal friend of Hefferlin, wrote, “I believe I speak for all of us when I say that anyone who has ever encountered Ray came away with the impression of the kindest and most dignified person they had ever met.”
Commonly referred to as “Doc” by his peers, Hefferlin began his career at Southern in 1955, spending the next 60 years teaching, researching, and inspiring students in the Physics and Engineering Department until his death in 2015. During that time, he pioneered a new field of study in the realm of physics, and his work with the periodic systems of molecules is widely used today by students and scientists alike.
Hefferlin emphasized the importance of intellectual exploration, and pushed for an annual research day. This semester, Southern’s annual Campus Research Day featured 409 presentations, with students representing nearly every academic department on campus sharing their research.
“Doc lived a full, diverse, and interesting life,” said Ken Caviness, Ph.D., professor of physics and former colleague and friend of Hefferlin. “He trained generations of physicists and Christian scientists. May we all, as physicists, be able to say that.”
Southern Adventist University | June 2018
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