 He graduated from Indiana University in 1971 with a B.A in Chemistry, and from Harvard University with a Ph.D in Chemical Physics in 1976.After a brief postdoctoral research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology with John Deutch, in the fall of 1976 he became an Assistant Professor at the Chemistry department of Harvard University.In 1980 he moved to the University of Illinois, eventually becoming the Center for Advanced Study Professor of Chemistry, Physics and Biophysics.