Rudy Marcus

Rudolph "Rudy" Arthur Marcus is a Canadian-born chemist who received the 1992 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. A trailblazing researcher, Dr. Marcus is known for his work in many fields of theoretical chemical kinetics. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for elucidating a thermodynamic and kinetic framework for describing one electron outer-sphere electron transfer. "Marcus theory," provides a mathematical method to determine how fast or slow, or in what direction, electrons jump between molecules without breaking chemical bonds, explaining the electron transfers which make it possible for plants to store energy from sunlight and use it to fuel growth, or for humans to store energy from a meal and use it later to power the body's activities. In addition to the Nobel Prize, he has received the Irving Langmuir Award, the Wolf Prize in Chemistry, the Linus Pauling Award and the National Medal of Science. In this audio podcast, recorded at the Academy of Achievement's 1993 Summit in Glacier Park, Montana, Dr. Marcus recounts his life and career as a chemist. He encourages the Academy's students to define their goals as the pursuit of excellence, rather than success, and emphasizes the importance of meeting life's unexpected challenges.