- Born: New York City
- Grew up: Maryland, Washington suburbs
- Education: University of Chicago, undergrad and grad.
- Ph.D. in Physics, 1975 (Under Prof. J. C. Jamieson – Jamieson’s rules for High Pressure Research)
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- Professional Experience:
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- 1975-1977: NATO postdoctoral fellow at the Max-Planck Institute for solid-state research in Germany.
- 1977-present: Los Alamos National Laboratory High Pressure Research
- 1995-2001: LANL Industrial Fellow at PPG Industries
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- Recent Honors:
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- Department of Energy DP Award to “The Binder Protection Team”, 2002
- LANL Distinguished Performance Award, 1999
- LANL / PPG Industries Industrial Fellowship, 1995-2001
Scientist Dave Schiferl is a world-class expert in the field of diamond cell research.
His 26-year career at Los Alamos National Laboratory has been dedicated to this subject. In 1978, he actually pioneered the method of loading liquefied gases into diamond cells by using two Styrofoam cups, one inside the other, dropping the cell inside the cup and covering it with liquid nitrogen. He strategically torked three specially designed screws in the diamond cell with a long necked allen wrench to squeeze and freeze the gas. Schiferl heard a dreaded ping, indicating something inside broke. But when he opened the cell, he was stunned, amazed and then ecstatic to find his simple Styrofoam cup experiment was a great success.
He had proven that liquid gases could be loaded into diamond cells and measured at extremely low temperatures. Schiferl's method is now used in laboratories throughout the world.
" Those are the moments that make science exciting," said Schiferl. "Often times it takes thousands of trials and errors to finally reach success on a project. Maybe the first few times work, but not the fifth or seventh or ninth. So when you finally have it for sure, there's no feeling like it." Prior to coming to work at the lab in 1977, Schiferl was a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) postdoctoral fellow at the Max-Planck Institute for solid-state research in Germany.
He explained how easy it is to know "who is who" at any gathering of people in Germany. People are introduced as "Herr so-and-so". Doctors are always introduced as "Herr Doctor so-and-so" as if the "doctor" is part of their first name. With American informality, people are often introduced as "Bob" whether they are an intern or a doctor. Americans have an innate ability to quickly absorb "who is who" by the subtle deference paid to the doctor by those who know him. They laugh a little louder at his jokes, let him talk first and look to him for signs of agreement or disagreement before proceeding in a discussion. "That is a hard thing to teach someone if they haven't grown up with it," said Schiferl. Mentoring science students is one of the joys of Schiferl's job. He has a few "laws" his students become familiar with in a hurry. One is that when he is busy he will tell a new student to go perform one task or another. The student begins to ask questions to which Schiferl's classic response is, "You're smart - you'll figure it out." And he said they generally do.
Born in New York, raised in the Washington, DC suburb of Maryland, Schiferl received a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Chicago in 1975. He studied under Professor J.C. Jamieson and learned his rules for high-pressure research.
He also collaborated with PPG Industries as a LANL Industrial Fellow from 1995 through 2001.
Schiferl is a member of the Chemistry Division, Physical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Group, Intellectual Property Coordinator and Industrial Fellows Coordinator.
He continues to mentor students at the lab.
Schiferl has been married to Sheila for 35 years. Sheila was a physicist in the X-Division of LANL for 16 years before leaving six years ago to pursue her passion for music. She teaches piano, voice, harp, and performs with local organizations.
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