Reisler honored as first Gabilan Chair
USC College Dean Joseph Aoun has announced that Hanna Reisler, a professor of chemistry in the College, will be the first holder of the newly established Gabilan Chair.
The endowed chair is funded by the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) Program that was established in 2000 with a $20 million gift to the university. The donor of the gift, who wishes to remain anonymous, has named the new chair the Gabilan Chair, for the Gabilan bird, a type of North American falcon.
“Hanna is an internationally recognized chemist with a distinguished research program,” says Aoun. “In addition, she has been a leader in the development of the WiSE Program at USC, and thus is eminently qualified to hold this new endowed chair.”
“The new chair will be a visible symbol of the university’s commitment to increasing the representation of women in the sciences and engineering,” says professor Jean Morrison, the director of the WiSE Program.
The primary goal of the program is to double the number of tenured and tenure-track female faculty in the next five years. It helps create a supportive environment that fosters career development of both women and men in the sciences.
“Gender equity in the sciences and engineering, and in the university as a whole, is a priority for the administration,” says Provost Lloyd Armstrong Jr. “This new chair and the other WiSE programs are central to our efforts to achieve gender equity.”
Reisler studies detailed mechanisms of chemical reactions in the gas and condensed phases by using laser- and molecular-beam techniques. In particular, she is interested in identifying primary steps and nascent product state distributions, and understanding reaction mechanisms at the molecular level.
“I am thrilled to hold this important chair,” says Reisler. “I hope it will help bring more women scientists and engineers to USC, and I intend to do everything in my power to support and nurture their careers.”
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