Dr. Steven M. Grimes

Now a renowned nuclear astrophysics researcher and educator, Dr. Steven M. Grimes recalls his first experience with the industry came from helping his father design their family home. From talking with his father about heating, cooling and electrical connections, he subsequently became interested in physics and engineering. Upon receiving a Bachelor of Science from Stanford University in 1963, he went on to achieve a Master of Science in 1964 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1968, both from the University of Wisconsin. From there, Dr. Grimes took on postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Basel in Switzerland and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He excelled as a physicist at the latter for 10 years until 1981.

Dr. Grimes served Ohio University as a physics educator, researcher and director of the Edwards Accelerator Laboratory from 1985 to 1991, originally joining the institution as a visiting professor in 1978. Notably, he attained the honor of distinguished professor emeritus in 1991. That same year, he was a visiting professor at the University of Kentucky. Finding great success throughout the course of his career, in 2001, Dr. Grimes was named Distinguished Professor by the American Physical Society, of which he is a fellow. He was also named an Outstanding Referee in 2008 and calls these honors the highlights of his career.

Dr. Grimes attributes his success not only to his own knowledge and dedication, but also to the various mentors he has had over the years. These include Heinz Barschall, John Anderson and Marvin Fridley, well as his parents William Schuyler Grimes and Fern Grimes. Among his research-based career, Dr. Grimes was the editor of “Moment Methods” from 1979 and “Neutron-Nucleus Collisions” from 1985. Having also been a contributor of articles to professional journals, he holds membership with Sigma Xi and Phi Beta Kappa. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, photography, travel and hiking.