Prof. Takeshi Oka

Professor Takeshi Oka, R. A. Millikan Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of the Department of Chemistry, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, and the Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, is the Wei Lun Visiting Professor of the Chinese University in 2004. Oka (the name Professor Oka would like to be addressed) is an esteemed scientist known for his monumental contributions in spectroscopy, astronomy, and astrophysics over the past few decades.

Oka was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1932. He moved to Lushun, China at the age of four with his father, who was appointed to a position at Lushun (Port Arthur) Institute of Technology. Oka moved from Lushun to Dalian in 1945. He returned to Japan from Dalian in 1949 to enter the University of Tokyo.

Oka received his BS (1955), MS (1957), and PhD (1960) degrees from the Faculty of Science of the University of Tokyo. After serving as a JSPS fellow in the laboratory of Professor Y. Morino at the University of Tokyo, he moved to National Research Council (NRC) of Canada in 1963 as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Pure Physics Division led by Dr. Gerhard Herzberg (Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 1971). He stayed at NRC until 1981 when he moved to The University of Chicago for a joint appointment from Department of Chemistry and Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics. He has remained there since. He was appointed as the Robert A. Millikan Distinguished Service Professor in 1989. He joined the faculty of the Enrico Fermi Institute in 1993.

Starting as a microwave spectroscopist, Oka has made significant contributions in a manifold of aspects in molecular spectroscopy. According to Herzberg, these contributions "extend from the microwave region to the visible region, from cations to anions, from collision-induced transitions to quadrupole-induced transitions, from chemical problems to astrophysical problems."¹ Oka´s great achievement in science exploration is due not only to his deep insight in molecules, but also his extraordinary persistence that allows him to successfully solve numerous difficult problems. The most famous example of his persistence is, of course, the discovery of the spectrum of H3+ after more than five years of hard work. As Herzberg recalled, "It was my privilege to be there, to watch how he did it, to admire his persistence, and to observe his imagination in gradually finding the best conditions.¹ Oka has received, for the recognition of his accomplishments, more than twenty professional awards including the prestigious Fellow of the Royal Society of London (FRS) and the Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2004 alone, he has been awarded, in addition to the Wei Lun Visiting Professorship, an Honorary DSc degree from University College London, The University of Chicago Norman McLean Faculty Award, and the Davy Medal from the Royal Society of London. Oka is the author of more than 250 publications. In addition, he has served on the editorial and advisory boards of several prestigious journals, such as Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy, Journal of Chemical Physics, and Low Temperature Physics, etc.

Oka is not only admired for his scientific accomplishments, but also for his personality, his modesty, his humanity, his helpfulness to the people around him, and in particular, his interest in students. He received awards for his excellence in teaching. The high esteem that Oka enjoys among colleagues and students was evident as about 200 participants attended his retirement dinner in 2003.

Apart from science, Oka´s interests range from marathon running, piano, to language. He has participated in ten marathons, including races in Ottawa, Toronto, Boston, Niagara, and Chicago. He is fluent in English, Japanese, Russian, French, etc. He is married to Keiko Oka (whom he considers as his boss), and they have four children.

Accolades

1 G. Herzberg, J. Mol. Spectrosc.153, 1 (1992).