Graham Fleming

Graham R. Fleming is a professor of chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley and member of the Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute based at UCB.

Fleming's team is known for developing and using techniques in advanced multidimensional, ultrafast spectroscopy to study complex condensed phase dynamics in systems including natural photosynthetic complexes and nanoscale systems including single-walled carbon nanotubes and organic photovoltaic systems.

These investigations and the findings of Fleming's team have indicated the key role of quantum electronic coherence in disordered biological environments. These findings have pointed towards the importance of examining the role of quantum dynamical processes in biological energy harvesting systems.

Education, career, and service

Fleming was born 3 December 1949 in Barrow (now Barrow-in-Furness), England, and received his B.S. degree with honors in chemistry from the University of Bristol in 1971. He subsequently received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University College London and the Royal Institution in 1974. Fleming then held postdoctoral researcher appointments at three institutions: California Institute of Technology (1974–1975); University of Melbourne (1975–1976); and the Royal Institution (1976–1979).

In 1979, Fleming began his independent research team with a faculty appointment at the University of Chicago. He was promoted to associate professor at the University of Chicago in 1983 and in 1985 was made a full professor. In 1987, Fleming was named the Arthur Holly Compton Distinguished Services Professor a position which he held for ten years. At the University of Chicago, Fleming served for three years as the chair of the chemistry department.