Richard Freeman is a Distinguished Professor of Mathematical and Physical Sciences in the Physics Department at The Ohio State University. Professor Freeman obtained his PhD at Harvard University under Norman Ramsey in 1973. He spent 3 years at MIT as a Post‐Doctoral researcher and Lecturer in Physics. In 1976 he joined Bell Laboratories, and in 1981 was promoted to Department Head in the research division of Bell Labs. He served in that capacity, specializing in electromagnetic phenomena research, until 1996 when he moved to the University of California, Davis in the Department of Applied Sciences. During the period of 1996‐98 he was seconded to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where he served as Deputy Associate Director of Laser Programs.

Professor Freeman was appointed Chair of the Department of Applied Science in 1998, and assumed the Edward Teller endowed Professorship the same year. In 2003 he moved to The Ohio State University to take up the position of Dean of the College of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, a position he held until 2007 when he assumed his current position. Professor Freeman is the author of more than 260 peer‐reviewed papers, and has taught numerous physics courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level. He has been the Thesis Advisor to more than 30 PhD students, and the Post‐Doc mentor to 25 scientists. He is currently co‐head of the research group High Energy Density Physics, and serves as the Laboratory’s director.