01/24/2024
The UIC Department of Chemistry is holding a memorial event celebrating the life and legacy of Professor Moriarty. The event will be held on March 6, 2024, at 4:00 PM in Science & Engineering South, Room 4286, located at 845 W Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60607. All are welcome.
Robert "Bob" Moriarty was born to parents James and Mary Moriarty in New York City on October 9, 1933. He passed away on April 6, 2022, at 88. Bob's academic journey began at Fordham University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1955. He then went on to Princeton University for graduate studies (1955-59), where, under Everett Wallis's mentorship, he studied the solvolysis of steroids. After earning his doctorate, Bob completed postdoctoral stints at the University of Munich with Professor Rolf Huisgen and at Harvard University with Nobel laureate Robert Burns Woodward.
In 1962, he embarked on his independent career at the Catholic University of America in D.C., where he made significant contributions to physical organic chemistry. In 1969, Bob joined the burgeoning UIC Chemistry Department, where for four decades, he was not just an outstanding colleague but an inspiring mentor to generations of graduate students. He distinguished himself as an early authority in hypervalent iodine chemistry—a testament to his ingenuity and innovation. The American Chemical Society honored his groundbreaking work by bestowing upon him the inaugural Award for Creative Research and Applications of Iodine Chemistry in 2006.
Bob's prolific career is marked by over 250 peer-reviewed publications and more than 50 patents. As an entrepreneur, he founded Steroids LTD—a pharmaceutical research and development powerhouse later acquired by United Therapeutics.
Beyond academia and professional realms, Bob was a man who embraced life with vigor. A lifelong athlete with particular affinities for squash and skiing, his competitive spirit was equally matched by his love for vintage sports cars—his prized possessions being a classic 1973 Ferrari Dino and an "Outlaw" 1959 Porsche 356.
Dr. Moriarty's legacy is not just recorded in his contributions to science but also lives on through the lives he touched—with intellect, support, and kindness.
To honor the life and legacy of Professor Moriarty, please consider a gift to the UIC Chemistry Fund.
