Piecuch honored with special issue of Molecular Physics
It was at a meeting of the International Society for Theoretical Chemical Physics in Qingdao, China, in October 2024 that Professor Piotr Piecuch first learned – by chance – of a very special scientific honor heading his way.
Professor Benjamin Levine of Stony Brook University, who used to work in MSU’s Department of Chemistry, told Piecuch about working on a paper on nonadiabatic molecular dynamics for inclusion in a special issue of Molecular Physics.
To which Piecuch replied “And what issue is that?”
Over the coming year, Piecuch would watch as sixteen such articles were announced for an edition of Molecular Physics dedicated to his lasting contributions to theoretical and computational chemistry — an honor likewise coinciding with his 65th birthday.
More than simply a collection of scientific breakthroughs befitting one of the most important international journals dedicated to experimental and theoretical aspects of molecular science, the recently completed issue and the invited articles included in it are, above all, testament to Piecuch’s presence as a pioneering researcher and generous mentor whose influence reaches across the years.
“Authored by collaborators, colleagues, and former students, they highlight the enduring importance of his innovations, the diversity of fields influenced by his work, and the new directions of research that his ideas continue to inspire,” write Drs. Nicholas P. Bauman and Karol Kowalski in their foreword — both alumni of the Piecuch Group at MSU and now prominent researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
“To have a special journal issue dedicated to me, organized by my friends and former members of my group serving as Guest Editors and including so many wonderful articles by prominent theoretical chemists, is not only a great birthday gift, but also a very moving experience,” said Piecuch, an MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor and University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry.
Piecuch’s work sits at the vital intersection of theoretical chemistry and physics, focusing on fundamental concepts that chemists use to understand molecular behavior.
His group is especially known for the development and applications of new ideas in electronic structure and many-body theories and producing sophisticated mathematical frameworks and widely used software that allow scientists to simulate complex molecular properties and phenomena with high precision, helping ongoing experiments or in the absence of experimental information.
Alongside the special issue of Molecular Physics, the start of the new year finds Piecuch connected – perhaps more than ever – to the close-knit community of researchers bringing about new discoveries in theoretical chemistry and chemical physics.
A few months ago, he was appointed to the Editorial Advisory Board of the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation and the Presidential Advisory Committee of the International Society of for Theoretical Chemical Physics, and is an Associate Editor of Theoretical Chemistry Accounts, the oldest international journal dedicated to the theoretical chemistry field.
In his role as editor — which earned him two awards from the publisher of Theoretical Chemistry Accounts, Springer Nature, in 2025 — Piecuch sees a special opportunity to engage with the research that’s continually pushing the boundaries of molecular science and its understanding through mathematical theories and computations.
“It’s quite a lot of work, and you might find yourself up well past midnight processing manuscripts, examining reviews, and making editorial decisions, but this is an incredibly meaningful service to our community and a wonderful and rewarding experience to me,” he said.
