Honoring Dr. Richard Stein

Richard (Dick) Stein, the Emeritus Charles A. Goessmann Professor in Chemistry and founder of the UMass Amherst’s acclaimed polymer science program, died on June 21, 2021. He was 95.

In a prestigious career that spanned four decades at UMass Amherst, Stein is credited with being a pioneering researcher in polymer science and with revolutionizing the way research funding was managed at the university in the 1950s. He published more than 400 articles, multiple books and received three honorary doctorate degrees as a faculty member in the College of Natural Sciences.

Known as a trailblazing researcher, Stein made deep, lasting collaborations across disciplines. Perhaps the most notable was the founding of the Polymer Science Research Institute and the Research Computing Center in 1961. He also was the driving force behind the establishment of both the polymer science and engineering program and the Silvio O. Conte National Center for Polymer Research at UMass. Considered a founding father of polymer science research, Stein was respected both nationally and abroad as one of his generation’s most prominent scientists in that field.

UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy said, “Professor Dick Stein ranks as one of UMass Amherst’s most innovative and accomplished faculty in the 20th century, and he continued to contribute to our community throughout his vibrant retirement. His passion for research and devotion to his students earned him widespread acclaim and admiration. He represented UMass with extraordinary distinction, and we will miss him dearly.”

You can read more about Dr. Stein's impact on the UMass campus here and a remembrance page for memories about Dr. Stein has been published online here.

Donations in his honor can be made online to the newly established Dr. Richard Stein Endowed Fund for Polymer Science.