Douglas Poland papers

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: MS-0948

Staff Only

Content Description

This collection contains two boxes of the research notes and course files of Johns Hopkins Chemistry Professor Douglas Poland, dated 2005 to 2014.

Dates

Creation: 2005 - 2014
Creation: 2015

Creator

Poland, Douglas, 1939-2020 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is housed off-site and requires 48-hours' notice for retrieval. Poland's course files may contain student records which are restricted for the lifetime of the student in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, unless the student or former student grants access in writing. If it is not possible to verify date of death, the student will be assumed to be deceased 80 years after date of graduation, or date of last attendance. Other files are open for use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions. It is not necessary to seek our permission as the owner of the physical work to publish or otherwise use public domain materials that we have made available for use, unless Johns Hopkins University holds the copyright.

Biographical / Historical

Douglas "Doug" Poland was born in New Jersey in 1939. He earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1961 and a PhD in physical chemistry in 1966, both from Cornell University. Following postdoctoral training at Cornell with Harold Scheraga, he began teaching at Johns Hopkins as an assistant professor of chemistry in 1969, rising to associate professor in 1975 and professor in 1979. He served as the Chemistry Department Chair from 1983 to 1987, and won several Hopkins teaching awards prior to his retirement from the university in 2014.

Poland's primary research interest was statistical mechanics and incorporated principles of physics, chemistry, and biology. He studied phase transitions and other singularities, as well as order-disorder transitions in biological macromolecules, including proteins and DNA.

Sources:

“Theoretical Chemist Douglas Poland Dies at 80.” Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, 2 Oct. 2020, https://chemistry.jhu.edu/2020/10/02/theoretical-chemist-douglas-poland-dies-at-80/.

Wallach, Rachel. “Renowned Theoretical Chemist Douglas Poland Dies at 80.” The Hub, Johns Hopkins University, 30 Sept. 2020, https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/09/30/douglas-poland-obituary/.

Extent

2.51 Cubic Feet (2 record center boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

The files are physically arranged in the original order established by Douglas Poland.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by Alberta Poland in March 2023.

Processing Information

Collection-level processing was completed by Kristen Diehl in April 2023, at which time the files were kept in their original labelled folders. Additional file-level information for this collection is available upon request.