Bio

John Harkless is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Howard University and is an active member of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCCHE), having served as Vice President.

His research focuses on applying and developing quantum Monte Carlo (AMC) methods for use in computational studies of the electronic structure of difficult systems.

Prof. Harkless earned an SB in Chemistry and Mathematics from Morehouse College in 1995 and a Ph.D in Theoretical Chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley. He completed postdoctoral research as a National Research Council Postdoctoral Researcher in the Computational Chemistry Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Before being appointed as an MLK Visiting Professor, he was a Visiting Associate Professor of Chemistry at Louisiana State University.

At MIT, Prof. Troy Van Voorhis served as his host in the Chemistry Department, where Prof. Harkless continued research in molecular quantum mechanics. He also worked with colleagues in the Department of Chemical Engineering in the recruitment and mentoring of underrepresented minorities, while establishing a local chapter of NOBCCHE.

Publications