Born in Denbigh, Wales, in 1946, Russ Hughes received his undergraduate education at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology in England, and his Ph.D. at the University of Toronto, Canada, under the guidance of John Powell. After postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Bristol, England (with Michael Green) and McGill University, Montréal, Canada (with John Harrod), he joined the Chemistry Department at Dartmouth College, where he is now the Frank R. Mori Professor of Chemistry Emeritus and Research Professor of Chemistry.
His chemical interests are in organometallic chemistry, with major research activities in transition metal-fluorocarbon chemistry. After 35 years of experimental research, he has now transitioned to using Density Functional Theory approaches to solving problems. He has several productive research collaborations within the Chemistry Department and outside.
In 1990 he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science by the University of Manchester (U.K.) for his research work in organometallic chemistry.
He is the 2010 recipient of the American Chemical Society Award for Creative Work in Fluorine Chemistry, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the American Chemical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
His non-chemical interests include collecting and shooting fine old British shotguns, sporting clays shooting and upland bird hunting. His 1992 Harley-Davidson FXSTC motorcycle has recently been retired from duty, and replaced by a 2001 Jaguar Silverstone.
