Biography

Les Butler received his BS (1977) from the University of Arkansas, then studied inorganic chemistry with Prof. Ted Brown at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His PhD (1981) research was the construction of a novel solid-state NMR spectrometer and its applications to inorganic materials. Postdoctoral research (1981-93) in photochemistry and solid-state chemistry was done at CalTech with Prof. Harry Gray. He started at LSU as an assistant professor in 1983. His group built several solid-state NMR spectrometers and used magnet facilities at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and Los Alamos to study organometallic complexes, catalysts, polymer blends, biological samples, and environmental samples. He spent two years at the National Science Foundation (2001-02) as a program officer in chemistry. Now, his research program has moved in 3D+ imaging with X-ray and neutrons, mostly in materials science and polymer blends.

Awards & Honors

• LSU Distinguished Faculty Award, 2001
• Naval Research Laboratory Alan Berman Award, 1993
• Alfred P. Sloan Fellow, 1989-93