{{Short description|American biochemist (1920–2013)}} {{Use American English|date=September 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox scientist |name = Michael Kasha |image = |image_size = |caption = |birth_date = {{birth date|1920|12|06}} |birth_place = Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|2013|06|12|1920|12|06}} |death_place = Tallahassee, Florida, U.S. |residence = |citizenship = American |ethnicity = |field = physical chemistry, biophysics |work_institutions = |alma_mater = Cooper Union<br> University of California, Berkeley<br>University of Michigan |doctoral_advisor = Gilbert N. Lewis<ref>{{cite journal |last1=El-Sayed |first1=Mostafa |title=Michael Kasha - Editorial, Biographical Sketch, Summary of Research Contributions, Research Associates, and Publications list |journal=Journal of Physical Chemistry |date=December 1, 1991 |volume=95 |issue=25 |pages=10215–10220 |doi=10.1021/j100178a001 |url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/j100178a001 |access-date=5 February 2021|url-access=subscription }}</ref> |doctoral_students = Mostafa El-Sayed |known_for = Kasha's rule |author_abbrev_bot = |author_abbrev_zoo = |influences = |influenced = |prizes = |religion = |footnotes = |signature = }}
'''Michael Kasha''' (December 6, 1920 – June 12, 2013) was an American physical chemist and molecular spectroscopist who was one of the original founders of the Institute of Molecular Biophysics at Florida State University.<ref>[http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20130614/NEWS01/306140028/?nclick_check=1 Renowned FSU scientist Michael Kasha dies at 92], tallahassee.com, Jun. 13, 2013</ref>
==Education and early work== Born and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to a family of Ukrainian immigrants, Kasha graduated in 1938 from Thomas Jefferson High School, where the yearbook listed him as one of two "class brains".<ref>Fleetwood, Carmen. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-star-ledger-reunion-of-thomas-jeffer/180946643/ "Thomas Jefferson High grads share memories"], ''The Star-Ledger'', September 7, 1988. Accessed September 12, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "It ook 50 years, butthe Thomas Jefferson High School Class of 1938 finally got together for its first reunion as a large and enthusiastic group at the Town and Campus in West Orange.... As a matter of fact, the two 'class brains' listed in the yearbook, Michael Kasha and John Sopka, were among those who made the trip."</ref>
He studied chemical engineering at night at the Cooper Union in New York City for two years while working full-time during the days at the Merck & Co. research facility in New Jersey. He then received a full scholarship to the University of Michigan, where he completed a bachelor's degree in chemistry. He earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from University of California at Berkeley in 1945, working with renowned physical chemist G.N. Lewis.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1021/j100178a001 | volume=95 | issue=26 | title=Michael Kasha - Editorial, Biographical Sketch, Summary of Research Contributions, Research Associates, and Publications list | year=1991 | journal=Journal of Physical Chemistry | pages=10215–10220 | last1 = El-Sayed | first1 = Mostafa A. | last2 = Barbara | first2 = Paul | last3 = Nicol | first3 = Malcolm}}</ref> Following postdoctoral work with Robert Mulliken,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Berry |first1=R. Stephen |title=Robert Sanderson Mullekin |journal=Biographical Memoirs |date=2000 |volume=78 |page=146 |url=https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/9977/chapter/10}}</ref> he joined the chemistry department at Florida State University as a faculty member in 1951.<ref>{{cite web |title=FSU celebrates career, contributions of renowned scientist |url=https://news.fsu.edu/news/science-technology/2014/04/08/fsu-celebrates-career-contributions-of-renowned-scientist/ |website=Florida State University News |date=8 April 2014 |access-date=31 July 2021}}</ref>
==Awards and honors==
Kasha was named the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished University Research Professor at Florida State University in 1962, which is the university's highest honor. He was elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences in 1971, the first Floridian to be so honored.<ref>[http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/deceased-members/53960.html Kasha NAS Membership]</ref> He was also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences (1963),<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.amacad.org/contentu.aspx?d=941 |title=AAAS Membership List |access-date=2015-04-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140830050459/https://www.amacad.org/contentu.aspx?d=941 |archive-date=2014-08-30 |url-status=dead }}</ref> as well as the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science. He was an elected member of the Ukrainian SSR Academy of Sciences and the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, and received the Porter medal from the European Photochemistry Association (1990).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Porter Medal |url=https://www.photochemistry.eu/awards/porter-medal/ |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=European Photochemistry Association |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Important contributions==
The research in his molecular spectroscopy laboratory focused on the discovery and elucidation of excitation mechanisms, with particular application to photochemical and biophysical problems. His most important achievements include identifying triplet states as source of phosphorescence emission, formulating the Kasha rule on fluorescence, and his work on singlet molecular oxygen.
Kasha is also known for his interest in improving the sound quality and durability of the acoustic guitar and the classic string instruments. A 30-year collaboration with luthier Richard Schneider led to a series of innovative changes to the traditional classical guitar.<ref>[http://www.jthbass.com/kasha.html kasha bracing design]</ref> His guitar design was patented <ref>[https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/US3443465.pdf Kasha Guitar Patent]</ref> and is known as the "Kasha guitar".
==Literature== * [http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jp030179a R. Hochstrasser, J. Saltiel. Research Career of Michael Kasha. J. Phys. Chem. A, 2003, 107 (18), pp 3161–3162] * [http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/j100178a001 Michael Kasha - Editorial, Biographical Sketch, Summary of Research Contributions, Research Associates, and Publications list J . Phys. Chem., 1991, 95 (25), pp 10215–10220]
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100610080050/http://www.chem.fsu.edu/faculty/kasha.htm Florida State University faculty profile] * [http://vega.org.uk/video/programme/208 Michael Kasha Lecture Video] Lecture provided by the Vega Science Trust. * [http://www.biophysics.fsu.edu/michael-kasha/ Memorial website to Michael Kasha ] from the Institute of Molecular Biophysics at Florida State University * [http://www.hep.fsu.edu/~berg/teach/phy3091/Talk3KashaGuitar.pdf The Kasha Guitar] * [http://www.geoset.info/view-presentation/?pid=7054&url=http://mediasite.oddl.fsu.edu/mediasite/Viewer?peid=300c19cc-6c91-4cae-84f2-b09996ac9cb0 2004 Video Interview “In Conversation with Michael Kasha”] : Nobel Laureate Sir Harry Kroto interviews Dr. Michael Kasha about his life and career {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kasha, Michael}} Category:1920 births Category:2013 deaths Category:Florida State University faculty Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Category:American biochemists Category:Members of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science Category:American physical chemists Category:American spectroscopists Category:American people of Ukrainian descent Category:People from Elizabeth, New Jersey Category:Scientists from New Jersey Category:Thomas Jefferson High School (New Jersey) alumni Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Category:University of Michigan alumni